Fake accounts case: NAB court extends Asif Zardari's remand for 11 days

The bureau has requested the court to extend Zardari's remand.

 ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Accountability court on Friday has extended physical remand of former president and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari for 11 days in fake bank accounts case. During the hearing, the court announced reserved verdict on NAB’s appeal and handed over the ex-president to the bureau for further investigation.

On the occasion, strict security arrangements were made to avoid any untoward situation while unnecessary people were also barred from entering the premises. On June 10, Asif Ali Zardari had surrendered himself to a team of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) after Islamabad High Court (IHC) rejected his and his sister Faryal Talpur’s pre-arrest bail plea in the money laundering case. Following the refusal of bail, a team of anti-corruption watchdog accompanied by police personnel had reached the residence of PPP co-chairman and arrested him. Asif Zardari was taken to NAB office in Rawalpindi where he was shifted to cell no 2. On the occasion, small scuffles erupted between police and supporters of PPP outside his family’s residence in Islamabad as he was taken into custody. The charges in the latest case centre around allegations Zardari laundered vast sums of money through suspect bank accounts and companies. NAB is conducting investigations in pursuance of the Supreme Court’s verdict in the money laundering of billions through fake accounts case wherein it forwarded the joint investigation team (JIT) report with directions to investigate and file references. Zardari has repeatedly dismissed allegations he had a hand in the scheme. Never popular and always shrouded in controversy, Zardari -- who was once jailed for 11 years for corruption -- stepped down from the president s office in 2013. But he has continued to serve as co-chairman of the opposition PPP.