ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain on Friday said that with the availability of evidences in the money laundering case, PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif cannot escape punishment.

Addressing a press conference here along with Minister of State of Information and Broadcasting Farrukh Habib, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad and SAPM on Political Communication Shehbaz Gill, he said the PM’s Adviser on Accountability Shahzad Akbar gave a detailed briefing in the meeting of spokespersons on the corruption of Shehbaz Sharif family.

The minister said that about a year ago, it came to light that Shehbaz Sharif and Hamza Shehbazwere involved in money laundering and they operated these accounts like Omni Group accounts by the Zardari group.

However, he said, Zardari group did not operate these accounts directly but Shehbaz Sharif and Hamza Shehbaz operated them directly, and 17,000 transactions of 18 people were checked through which Rs16 billion were laundered by only one factory Shehbaz Sharif & Family.

He said this corruption was the tip of the iceberg in Shehbaz Sharif case. He asked the media that it should examine the documents of the cases against Shehbaz Sharif and Hamza Shehbaz Sharif and bring the facts before the people.

The minister said that there was only one chance of escape from punishment for Sahbaz if no hearings of the case were held. He hoped that the court would make day to day hearing of the case for its early disposal.

He informed the media that Prime Minister Imran Khan appeared as a witness in his defamation case against Khawaja Asif through video link.

Under the new system set up by the Law Ministry in Islamabad, he said witnesses can appear in their cases through video conferencing, and this practice has been started. He said that Khawaja Asif alleged misuse of charity money at Shaukat Khanum Hospital in 2012, and the case has not been decided yet.

Shaukat Khanum Hospital spent Rs 70 billion every year on treatment of poor people, Chaudhry Fawad said, adding if such allegations were made then who will do charity work in Pakistan.