FIA offloads ‘Ramzan Sugar Mills’ manager, hands him to NAB

–Sharif family’s spokesperson says Muhammad Mushtaq has never been their employee

LAHORE: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Monday offloaded Muhammad Mushtaq, reportedly a manager of Ramzan Sugar Mills, from a Dubai-bound Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight and handed him over to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

Mushtaq alias Chini was barred from boarding as his name was on the Exit Control List (ECL). Reportedly, he was put on the no-fly list on the request of the anti-corruption watchdog which is currently probing the Ramzan Sugar Mills scam.

Reportedly, Mushtaq, who is alleged to be a frontman of the Sharif family, is accused of illegitimately transferring Rs70 million into the bank account of Suleman Shahbaz – the elder brother of Punjab Assembly Opposition Leader Hamza Shehbaz.

The anti-graft watchdog is already investigating Hamza Shehbaz and Shehbaz Sharif in the aforementioned scam. The PML-N president, in the capacity of chief minister of the province, is accused of issuing a directive to construct a drain in Chiniot district chiefly to benefit the sugar mills owned by his sons.

However, a spokesperson of the Sharif family rejected reports that Mushtaq was a manager of the Ramzan Sugar Mills.

“Muhammad Mushtaq has never been an employee of the Sharif family,” the spokesperson said.

“Sharif family’s media trial is an ill-intentioned and regrettable step. The purpose of issuing such one-sided statements without any investigation is character assassination,” the spokesperson added.