Former President of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari, along with his sister Faryal Talpur, have been indicted on Monday by the National Accountability Bureau in massive money laundering cases that have been pleaded as not guilty by the accused, reported Bol News.
All three previous petitions submitted by Asif Zardari against the NAB references were dismissed by the accountability court.
Asif Zardari indicted and petitions dismissed
The court held that former President Asif Zardari’s petitions against the NAB references were null and void, and ordered to charge the accused in all three NAB references pertaining to corruption.
After interrogation was undertaken regarding Thatta Water Supply Reference, Nadeem Bhutto who was arrested in the case named Asif Zardari as the accused. It is held that contracts for Thatta Water Supply were granted illegally.
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Asif Zardari has also been indicted in relation to the Park Lane Company reference alongside 12 others. Zardari is accused of causing losses of Rs3.77 billion to the national exchequer through use of fake bank accounts.
Park Lane Company reference: National Bank presidents being interrogated
Zardari has been accused of buying 2,460 kanals of real estate in Islamabad facilitated by his operations in the Park Lane Company and his son chairman Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has also been named in the case.
NAB holds that Zardari’s fake company was funded by loans he took out from the National Bank. Witnesses which include former National Bank presidents have been questioned regarding the case and statements have also been recorded.
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Asif Zardari was previously released on medical grounds last year after an accountability court in the capital issued mandamuses in the money laundering cases. NAB is undertaking further investigations after the Supreme Court’s (SC) verdict in the money laundering cases to further investigate in line with the joint investigation team (JIT) report.
Shahbaz Sharif arrested after bail plea rejected by LHC
Lahore High Court (LHC) has rejected Shahbaz Sharif’s interim bail plea and he has been arrested following rejection of his bail petition. The hearing of money laundering and assets case against Shahbaz Sharif took place in LHC bench comprising Justice Sardar Ahmad Naeem and Justice Farooq Haider Monday.
The counsel for Shahbaz argued it is on record the NAB concocted a story based on fiction. We don’t know why this case was instituted. Reference has been filed and investigations have been finalized. What is now the reasons for arrest.
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The counsel said how will it be beneficial if Shahbaz is arrested and kept in jail for six months. Why he will take risk of some billion rupees who has saved one thousand billion rupees.
Counsel for NAB Faisal Bokhari argued Shahbaz Sharif set up 11 industrial units and 4 benami companies. Shahbaz Sharif said there is not a single evidence available in the reference containing thousands of pages. I saved 1000 billion rupees in procurement. They will not be able to prove corruption against him even after spending 250 years. The court rejected interim bail plea of Shahbaz Sharif in money laundering case on completion of arguments of the lawyers from respective sides.
GVS News Desk with additional input by other sources