The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday extended the pre-arrest bail of former president Asif Ali Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur in several corruption cases in which they are being investigated by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
A two-judge IHC bench led by Justice Aamir Farooq heard the cases regarding Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairperson’s pre-arrest bail in six different cases pending with the NAB.
Zardari was granted bail extension until June 12 in the Parklane Estate case, while he and his sister were granted extension until June 11 in the Joint Venture (JV) Opal 225 inquiry. In the case regarding import of bulletproof vehicles, the PPP co-chairperson’s bail was extended until June 20, while in the Haresh and Company case, he was given bail extension until May 30. The court also extended Zardari’s interim bail until May 21 in the investigation pertaining to suspicious transactions. Interim bails for Zardari and Talpur were also extended to May 29 in the mega money laundering case.
Zardari has been summoned by the NAB on May 16 in relation to the Haresh and Company case, which is a part of larger investigation over alleged fake accounts used to launder money.
In his petition, Zardari stated that the accountability watchdog has summoned him in the Haresh and Company case and that he could be arrested. The former president requested the court that NAB be stopped from arresting him and that his bail be approved.
The former president is named in 36 NAB inquiries and the anti-corruption watchdog claims that his role has been established in at least eight cases so far, according to an 11-page report submitted by the bureau to the IHC on Tuesday. After appearing before the court, Zardari told media that a protest campaign will be launched against the government after the holy month of Ramazan. “After Eid, PPP will run a movement against the present government … the government is aware of our plans and this is why cases are being made against us,” he claimed. “There is not much difference between the current and the past amnesty schemes. People who have some money will convert their black money into white. Make people rich first and then impose taxes on them,” he said in response to a question regarding the recent tax amnesty scheme announced by the sitting government.
The PPP supremo reiterated that the NAB and the economy cannot function at the same time. “Either NAB will work in the country or the economy,” he said. The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) is investigating more than 30 people, including Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur, in relation to money laundering from fictitious accounts. Several ‘benami’ accounts at multiple private banks were reportedly opened in 2013, 2014 and 2015 from where transactions worth billions of rupees were made.
Zardari’s close aide Hussain Lawai was arrested in July 2018 in connection with the probe. The former president’s other close aide and Omni Group Chairman Anwar Majeed and his son Abdul Ghani were arrested by FIA in August 2018.