Islamabad (Staff Report/Agencies): Former president Asif Ali Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur on Monday appeared before an accountability court in money laundering case.
During the hearing, the defence counsel Farooq H Naek sought an exemption for his client, Zardari. Judge Malik, however, stressed on devising a mechanism that would create ease for both parties.
Two women suspects filed requests to become witnesses. Kiran and Noreen said they had approached Chairman NAB Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal as well.
When the judge asked the NAB prosecutor what he thought about the request, the prosecutor said the bureau would first need to check whether the request has been lodged.
The court then directed the women to submit their written pleas before the judge.
Judge Muhammad Arshad Malik adjourned the case till April 16.
As many as 2,000 police personnel along with 200 personnel from Punjab Rangers were deployed for the court hearing.
The former president and his sister were summoned by the accountability court after a Karachi banking court accepted the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) request to transfer the fake accounts case to Islamabad. The bureau filed the transfer appeal following the Supreme Court’s decision in the case wherein the joint investigation team (JIT) report and evidence collected was referred to the bureau for further investigations.
The Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) top leadership, Omni Group’s Anwar Majeed and his son Abdul Ghani Majeed, former Pakistan Stock Exchange chairperson Lawai, Summit Bank Senior Vice-President Taha Raza are among those being investigated for alleged money laundering of billions through fictitious bank accounts.
