SHC issues notices to NAB DG, prosecutor in mega money laundering case
KARACHI (92 News) – The Sindh High Court (SHC) has issued notices to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) director general and prosecutor for March 26 in a petition challenging transfer of the mega money laundering case.
Farooq H Naik, counsel for Asif Zardari and Faryal Talpur, contended that the SC had not ordered to transfer the case to Rawalpindi.
On the other hand, the SHC dismissed the applications of Asif Zardari and Faryal Talpur seeking stay order against the transfer of the case.
On Saturday, Asif Zardari had challenged the verdict of the banking court. He pleaded that the banking court’s verdict should be declared null and void. He stated that the decision to shift the case to Rawalpindi is illegal.
NAB summons Asif Zardari, Bilawal Bhutto on March 20
On the other hand, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had summoned PPP co-chairman Asif Zardari and chairman Bilawal Bhutto in the fake accounts case on March 20.
Mega money laundering case transferred to Rawalpindi
Earlier, the banking court had ordered to transfer mega money laundering case from Karachi to Rawalpindi on the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) plea.
The banking court accepted the NAB plea of moving the case to Rawalpindi from Karachi. However, former president Asif Ali Zardri and his sister Faryal Talpur were absent during the hearing.
Following the arguments, the court had reserved its verdict earlier this week. Subsequently, the banking court had also cancelled the interim bails granted to Zardari, Talpur and others as the case had been transferred to a different court.
As the verdict was announced, the sons of Anwar Majeed, one of the co-accused, left the court, following which a team of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) went after them to make arrests.
After the details verdict, the interim bails of Zardari and Faryal Talpur have been ended. However the interim bails of other suspects in money laundering case Nimr Majeed, Zulqarnain, Ali Majeed and Bahria Town Malik Riaz son-in-law Zain were also declared null and void after the court verdict.
It is worth mentioning that the Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) leadership consulted with the lawyers and overview the option to take interim bails form the high court in case of cancellations. According to the law experts, the issuance of warrants by the NAB are necessary to arrest the suspects.
Earlier on March 11, a Karachi banking court had extended the bail of Asif Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur till March 15. The court had also announced that decision on shifting or not shifting the case to Islamabad will be made on March 15.
On the other hand, the NAB has submitted the second progress report in the fake accounts case. The report informed the court about investigations into the case. Recent arrests made in the case are also part of the record.
Asif Zardari and Zain Malik filed petitions seeking exemption from court. Asif Zardari also submitted his objections to shift the case to Islamabad. The NAB prosecutor stated that under the Article 16, the NAB chairman has authority to shift the case.
