Daily Times

KARACHI: A banking court on Tuesday extended the interim bail of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Asif Ali Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur in a money laundering case.

Previously, Zardari was granted a protective bail from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in the case. However, the IHC had directed the former president to appear before the trial court on September 3.

As the hearing started today, Talpur appeared before the court. Zardari’s lawyer informed the court that his client was in Islamabad for the voting of presidential election hence he could not attend the session.

Accused Anwar Majeed and Abdul Ghani Majeed were not presented in court today.

Zardari’s lawyer had previously submitted an appeal for exemption from appearing in court.

After accepting the exemption plea, the court adjourned the hearing till September 25.

The money laundering case was initially registered in 2015 against former Pakistan Stock Exchange chairman Hussain Lawai, who is believed to be a close aide to Zardari.

According to the FIA, Zardari and Talpur are absconders in the money laundering case.

In the case, 32 people are accused of money laundering from fictitious accounts and in relation to this, Lawai has also been arrested.

Also read Talpur and Zardari fail to appear before FIA: Money laundering scam

The FIA investigation began when the financial monitoring unit of the State Bank of Pakistan issued a transaction report, regarding ten bank accounts, in January this year.

Sources claimed that at least 20 benami accounts at a private bank were opened in 2013, 2014 and 2015 from where transactions worth billions of rupees were made.

According to the FIA sources, the amount is said to be black money which has been gathered via various kickbacks, commissions, and bribes.

Despite these huge transactions, bank authorities never reported them to the concerned authorities.