Daily Times

A division bench of the Sindh High Court (SHC) on Friday held hearing of iqama (work permit) case filed against former president Asif Ali Zardari’s sibling Faryal Talpur, Sohail Anwar Siyal and others.

Authorities presented contents of Joint Investigation Team (JIT) report regarding fake accounts case during the hearing.

Faryal Talpur’s lawyer Farooq H Naek argued that there was no need to discuss JIT report in the case. He said that the documents including in the petition should be discussed.

As the hearing went underway, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar remarked that the court will give judgement following laws, hence why shouldn’t the SHC avoid discussions over the JIT report.

Lawyer of the petitioner, Khawaja Shamsul Islam, in his argument said that crimes of the accused persons were proved in the JIT report as billions of rupees were transferred from a bank in Naudero while Faryal Talpur purchased properties in Pakistan and Dubai with names of Abbas Zardari and Hamid Sammo who were Talpur’s driver and personal servant. Faryal Talpur had not mentioned his company established on her daughter’s name in the asset details, Islam said.

Islam continued that the transactions were mostly made with nexus of Sindh Bank President Bilal Shaikh by opening 32 fake accounts. Case against Faryal Talpur was not different from petitions filed against Jehangir Tareen and Shakil Awan, he added. Islam requested the court to declare Faryal Talpur and Sohail Anwar Siyal ineligible and impose penalties on the politicians.

The case was adjourned till February 1. Khawja Shamsul Islam, counsel of the petitioner will continue his arguments in the next hearing.

Published in Daily Times, January 26^th 2019.