PPP holds emergency meeting over expected arrest of Zardari

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) is currently holding an emergency session to consult over the expected arrest of its co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari on Monday.

Earlier today, the Islamabad High Court rejected bail pleas of Asif Ali Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur in a mega money laundering case. Following the court’s order, a team of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has reached Zardari house to arrest both the PPP leaders.

Apart from the senior party leadership, the legal team of PPP is also in attendance at the consultation meeting and mulling over the options to challenge the verdict of the IHC, sources said.

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.