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Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his son, former Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shahbaz, were ordered to appear in court on September 7 for the drafting of charges in the multi-billion rupee money-laundering case by a special court in Lahore on Saturday.

The Federal Investigation Agency"s (FIA) allegations against the premier and his son were heard by Special Central Court Judge Ijaz Awan. Hamza Shehbaz and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif were absent from court today.

The attorneys for the accused filed applications with the court as the proceedings got underway, requesting that both accused be excused from appearing in court due to illness.

The attorney for Hamza told the court that his client had "serious back pain," while the attorney for Shehbaz Sharif said the prime minister was not present because of bad weather and because his physicians had recommended him against travelling by road because of his health issues.

Farooq Bajwa, the FIA prosecutor, disagreed with the premier"s request but not with his son"s request for an exemption. He claimed that "the accused ceased showing up as soon as his bail was approved."

The accused Malik Maqsood Chaprasi"s death certificate had been submitted to the court, the attorney further said, and the "court ended the procedures of the case to the extent of Malik Maqsood."

It should be recalled that Maqsood Chaprasi, a crucial witness in the money laundering case involving PM Shehbaz and his family, passed away from a heart arrest earlier in June.

After money was allegedly discovered to have been deposited into his account during an inquiry into allegations of money laundering by the Sharif family, Maqsood, who was residing abroad, was added as a party to the case.

The FIA"s prosecution team also informed the court during today"s hearing that 19 of Salman Shehbaz"s bank account records had been discovered, but that seven other banks" records had not yet been obtained.

Furthermore, according to Bajwa, the discovered records of Salman Shehbaz"s assets have also been presented in court.

The judge accepted Shehbaz and Hamza"s pleas and continued the case"s hearing until September 7. Both defendants were then ordered to appear in court for the subsequent hearing.

Case of Money Laundering

The FIA asserts that Rs16.34 billion was transferred from "benami" sources into the accounts of PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif and his family.

Shehbaz and his sons Hamza and Suleman were named by the agency as the main defendants in the case in December of last year. In accordance with sections 5(2) and 5(3) (criminal misconduct) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, read together with 3/4 of the Anti-Money Laundering Act, fourteen more people were identified in the FIR.

"Eleven low-paid Sharif group employees were found guilty of assisting money laundering because they "held and possessed" the laundered proceeds on behalf of the main accused. The three additional Sharif group co-accused "actively assisted in the money laundering," according to the FIA.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz"s pre-arrest bail was confirmed by the special court in a written order on June 14. The order also noted that no evidence of corruption, abuse of power, or bribery against the father and son had been discovered thus far in the Rs16 billion money laundering case.