NAB requests IHC not to give Zardari any relief

Author: Agencies

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Tuesday requested the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to dismiss a bail petition of former president Asif Ali Zardari in the mega money laundering and fake bank accounts case by terming it “non-maintainable”.

The bureau submitted an 11-page reply to the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairman’s bail petition, stating that he was being investigated over his alleged involvement in different cases, including the fake accounts case.

The bureau state that 22 inquiries and four references were being probed against Zardari at present, and added that there was concrete evidence to substantiate its charges against the former president.

The NAB, therefore, contended that Zardari did not deserve any relief in the shape of bails and demanded that his bail be cancelled.

The PPP co-chairman, his sister Faryal Talpur and other accused in the fake bank accounts case had approached the IHC, seeking interim bail after a banking court in Karachi transferred the matter to Islamabad on a NAB request.

Lately, the IHC approved the interim bail of Zardari who approached it after the NAB summoned him in connection with illegal award of water supply contracts of the Sindh government to private firms.

An IHC bench granted bail to Zardari until May 15 against a surety bond of Rs 500,000.

Zardari, through his lawyer, stated before the court that he was being subjected to political victimisation, adding that he had been issued another call-up notice by the bureau.

He pleaded the court to grant him bail until conclusion of trial against him in the case and direct the NAB to provide details of all the cases being probed by it against him.

Meanwhile, the NAB submitted the details of its ongoing investigation into fake bank accounts in the Islamabad High Court.

NAB Deputy Prosecutor General Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi submitted the bureau’s report, detailing the ongoing inquiries against Zardari, after the PPP leader had petitioned the court on April 29 to summon the details of all the ongoing cases and inquiries against him.

In the report, the NAB stated that there were a total of 26 inquiries being conducted in relation to the fake accounts case. The bureau also said it started the probe into the fake accounts on the Supreme Court’s orders.