Zardari to challenge bail rejection in SC

ISLAMABAD: Former president Asif Ali Zardari will challenge the verdict of Islamabad High Court rejecting his bail, in the Supreme Court of Pakistan on Tuesday. 

According to details, a petition has been prepared by Zardari’s counsel, Farooq H. Naek, which pleads the apex court to declare the IHC’s ruling void.

It states that the high court issued a short judgement without listening to the arguments of Zardari’s lawyer and dismissed the bail petition of the Pakistan Peoples Party leader.

“Supreme Court should decided [on the matter] after listening to our point of view, and pronounce the verdict of Islamabad High Court as null and void” the petition said.

The National Accountability Bureau arrested the PPP co-chairman from his Islamabad residence after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) turned down his and his sister Faryal Talpur’s plea for extension in their interim bail in a mega money laundering case on Monday.

The court had also rejected Faryal Talpur’s bail plea, however, the NAB did not arrest her for the time being.

It may be noted that both the PPP leaders’ interim bail was extended for five times in the reference.

The case

The Federal Investigation Agency is investigating 32 people in relation to money laundering from fictitious accounts, including Zardari and Talpur.

Zardari’s close aide Hussain Lawai was arrested in July last year in connection with the probe. While his other confidant and Omni Group chairman Anwar Majeed and his son, Abdul Ghani, were arrested by FIA in August 2018.

Over 20 ‘benami’ accounts at some private banks were opened in 2013, 2014 and 2015 from where transactions worth billions of rupees were made, according to sources.

The amount, according to FIA sources, is said to be black money gathered from various kickbacks, commissions and bribes.