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Park Lane, Opal-225 cases: Bilawal appears before NAB as PPP workers clash with police

Dunya News

However, Mr Zardari has excused himself from appearing today in another case.

RAWALPINDI (Dunya News) – Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Wednesday appeared before a Combined Investigation Team (CIT) of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Rawalpindi for interrogation in the Park Lane Estates Company and Opal-225 – a joint venture of Zardari Group Ltd – cases.

The NAB has handed over a questionnaire containing 32 questions regarding the same cases and directed him to submit his written response within 14 days.

Importantly, the accountability watchdog questioned Bilawal to explain "how the JV Opal-225, without conducting any legitimate business, paid Rs1.22 billion to Zardari Group." To which the PPP chairman denied his involvement with the Opal-225 project and replied he was not the chief executive of the Zardari Group at the moment.

The NAB posed the question “Did the Zardari Group entered into a joint venture with the Opal-225 project?”

The CIT further asked him whether he was the chief executive of the Zardari Group and if the group took Rs1 billion bribe from a private company before initiation of the project.

In Opal 225 scam, Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur’s bail was extended till June 11 against surety bonds of Rs500,000 each.

Bilawal, after being interrogated, left the bureau in a form of carcade as scores of PPP supporters were present to express their support for the party.

Police arrest two PPP female MNAs

As clashes broke out between hundreds of security personnel, police officers and PPP workers when they were barred at D-Chowk from entry towards the NAB headquarters, several supporters, including two female members of the National Assembly (NA), were arrested by the police.

Police baton-charged and fired water cannon at the supporters as they tried to march towards the bureau.

Later, the police fired tear gas to disperse the workers who refused to disperse as police tried to persuade them to leave.

Bilawal strikes back at government

Earlier, Bilawal accused the federal government of being intolerant of “constructive criticism and opposition voices”.

Fearing unrest over the PPP leaders’ appearance before the anti-graft watchdog today, police personnel were directed to prevent PPP workers from leaving their respective areas and entering the federal capital.

The notification said that PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is expected to appear [at] National Accountability Bureau Headquarters on Wednesday. “It is expected that a large number of political workers will gather from different parts of the country which may end up creating law and order situation. Therefore it is requested that home secretaries of K-P and Punjab may be appointed to direct their CPO/ DPO/ DC to stop said workers to enter inside the Islamabad Capital Territory.”

The PPP chairman responded scathingly to the development in a series of tweets.

“Thank you all for supportive messages. Will be leaving for NAB Pindi shortly,” he wrote on Twitter. “Despite ex-Chief Justice Saqib Nisar announcing that I am innocent, the government has no tolerance for constructive criticism & opposition voices, continue to persecute political opponents.”

“Luckily I’ve had a lot of practice,” he added while sharing images of his late mother and former prime minister Benazir Bhutto coming out of jail where her husband, Asif Ali Zardari, was imprisoned.

“Despite no official call to protest, party workers have begun to reach Islamabad,” he continued. “In violation of every Pakistanis democratic rights of freedom of assembly panicked government released a midnight notification to harass opponents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab & Islamabad.”

“Dartay hain Tabdelee way…” he quipped.

However, Mr Zardari excused himself from appearing before a CIT in another case – regarding an illegal award of contract for a solar power project that allegedly caused Rs10 billion loss to the national exchequer – with a request made to the NAB that he has to appear before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) at the same time for a pre-arrest bail appeal.

Police ensured strict security arrangements outside the bureau and the adjoining roads are blocked for routine traffic. The litigant public is also denied entry towards the bureau’s old headquarters.

Earlier today, several senior party leaders and workers gathered at Zardari House in Islamabad. The CIT recorded Bilawal’s statement in the case for the second time.

Background

On March 20, the NAB Rawalpindi had handed over questionnaires comprising 54 questions each to Zardari and his son Bilawal in three cases including Park Lane Estate reference, and subsequently directed them to submit their response within 10 days.

The members of a joint investigation team (JIT) of the anti-graft watchdog had recorded their statements after 2 hours of interrogation at the bureau’s office in Rawalpindi concerning accusations over Park Lane Estate Company (Pvt) Ltd — a Karachi-based real estate firm co-owned by Zardari and Bilawal.

According to sources, Zardari had acquired the company illegally through a front man, Iqbal Memon, in 1989. In 2009, Zardari and Bilawal became shareholders of the company.

Moreover, both of them have a stake of 25 percent each in the company and Zardari had the authority to use the company accounts at his discretion as the director of the firm.

Allegedly, billions of rupees were transferred to the company’s accounts via fake bank accounts while the company documents dating back to the year 2008 show Zardari’s signatures as the director. The company took out loans of billions of rupees from the banks.

Earlier, the NAB had filed a petition with the trial court on behalf of NAB Chairman Justice (rtd) Javed Iqbal, stating that the investigation of the case had been transferred to the anti-graft watchdog by the apex court. The petition had requested the trial court to transfer the proceedings of the case to an accountability court in Rawalpindi.

Following the petition, the banking court had reserved its verdict earlier this week. Later, the court announced its verdict and allowed the transfer of the fake accounts and money laundering case from Karachi to an accountability court in Rawalpindi.

Related Topics
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari
Rawalpindi
NAB