Fake accounts case: Talpur's physical remand extended till July 29
On the other hand, Faryal Talpur's physical remand has been extended till July 29.
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – An accountability court in Islamabad on Monday extended the physical remand of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) MPA Faryal Talpur till July 29 for further interrogation into the money laundering through fake bank accounts case.
Along with Talpur, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Rawalpindi also produced former president Asif Ali Zardari, a son of Abdul Ghani Majeed and other accused persons before judge Muhammad Bashir.
As the hearing resumed, Zardari presented in the courtroom a newspaper clipping in which Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Accountability Shahzad Akbar had stated that Zardari owns 32 properties.
The PPP co-chairman pleaded with the court to summon Akbar and ask him [about evidence regarding his claims].
To which, the judge asked Zardari to handover the clipping to his lawyer, and a legal action over the matter could only be taken after filing of an application with the court.
Earlier today, the court had extended Talpur’s remand till August 6; however upon a request by a NAB investigation officer, her physical custody under the NAB was reduced till July 29. Talpur’s physical remand has been extended fourth time.
The court also accepted an application of exemption from personal appearance filed by approvers Noreen Sultan and Kiran Aman for today’s hearing.
The NAB prosecutor apprised the court that accused Nasir Abdullah and Azam Wazir were abroad. Subsequently, the court adjourned hearing of the case till August 19.
‘We aren’t de-seating Senate chairman’
After his court appearance, Zardari, in his reply to a question posed by a journalist regarding de-seating the senate chairman, stated that neither his party had ‘earlier’ chosen the chairman nor planned to de-seat him now.
His response stunned the journalists.
When asked about the premier comments that all facilities [in the jails] would be withdrawn, Zardari said: “Which facilities are available to us…we are accustomed to jails.”
Background
On July 15, an accountability court in Islamabad extended the physical remand of Zardari for 14 days in the Park Lane case.
The National Accountability Bureau arrested Zardari in the Park Lane case on July 1 while he was already in custody with the bureau’s Rawalpindi directorate in connection with the fake accounts case. In the Park Lane case, the court directed the NAB to produce him on July 29.
On June 10, Asif Ali Zardari had surrendered himself to a team of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) after 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.
The NAB has been conducting investigation 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.
