Daily Times

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has prepared another inquiry report against Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairman and former president Asif Ali Zardari in connection with fake bank accounts case.

The anti-graft watchdog maintained in a reply filed in the accountability court on freezing Asif Zardari’s home in Clifton in the fake accounts case that the former president had constructed the house with corruption as Rs 15 crore for this residence was paid from the bank account of PPP leader’s stenographer Mushtaq. Zardari has failed to provide proof of paying money for his Clifton house by himself, NAB claimed, adding that stenographer Mushtaq had accompanied the former president on 104 foreign visits. Zardari has not given satisfactory answers of questionnaire regarding his Clifton’s residence, it said, adding that Mushtaq escaped when he was approached for interrogation. The NAB has requested the court to freeze Zardari’s Clifton house till completion of inquiry against him.

Earlier, accountability court had deferred indictment of Asif Ali Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur in money laundering through fake bank accounts case.

Separately, a banking court in Lahore on Monday directed the cousins of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif to appear in person in a case against them for allegedly defaulting on bank loans. Judge Muneer Ahmed Joya approved applications of Tariq Shafi and others for exemption from personal appearance in the hearing and directed them to turn up at next hearing on August 24. A counsel representing different banks that instituted the case against the accused persons for allegedly defaulting on loans stated before the judge that Ittifaq and Kashmir sugar mills obtained loans worth Rs700 million from his clients. It was submitted that the former premier’s cousins were served multiple notices by the banks to pay back the loan but to no avail. The court, therefore, was requested to order action against them as per relevant laws.