Islamabad (Staff Report): The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday approved the interim bail of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari in two call up notices regarding fake accounts case.
A two-member bench comprising Justice Mohsin Kiyani and Justice Amir Farooq granted interim bail to the PPP leader till May 22 against surety bonds of Rs0.5 million each.
The former president has been summoned by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on May 16 in relation to Haresh and Company case, which is a part of the ongoing investigation in the fake accounts and money laundering case.
Earlier in the day, the PPP leader filed a petition in the IHC seeking pre-arrest bail in the fake bank accounts case
In the petition, Asif Ali Zardari had stated that he has been summoned by the accountability watchdog in the Haresh and Company case and he could be arrested.
The former president has requested the court that NAB be stopped from arresting him and that his bail be approved.
This is pertinent to mention that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) is investigating 32 people, including Asif Ali Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur in connection with money laundering through fake accounts.
Zardari’s close aide Hussain Lawai was arrested in July 2018 in connection with the probe.
Former president's other close aide and Omni Group chairman Anwar Majeed and his son Abdul Ghani were also arrested by FIA in this connection in August 2018.
As per sources, several ‘benami’ accounts were allegedly opened in 2013, 2014 and 2015 in some banks from where transactions worth billions of rupees were made.
According to FIA sources, the amount is said to be black money gathered from various kickbacks, commissions and bribes.
