NAB told to hand over money laundering case record to FIA

A banking court in Karachi on Tuesday directed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to hand over the record of a mega money laundering case against President Asif Ali Zardari, his sister Faryal Talpur and other accused to the Federal Investigation Agency.

Zardari, his sister Faryal Talpur, and aides — Hussain Lawai and Khawaja Anwar Majeed --- and other co-accused had been indicted in the case in September 2020 before an accountability court in Islamabad returned the reference to the bureau under the amendments made to the country’s accountability law last year to file it before the court having jurisdiction.

As the case came up for hearing before the special court (offence in banks) judge, Faryal Talpur, Hussain Lawai and other accused turned up. President Zardari didn’t appear as he has already filed an application seeking the presidential immunity under Article 248 (2) of the Constitution.

FIA prosecutor Muhammad Faisal informed the judge that the agency had not yet received the relevant record of the case despite writing several letters to the bureau for provision of the same.

At this, the judge said he was issuing directives to the bureau to hand over the record to the FIA’s investigating officer, according to the prosecutor. Zardari’s plea could not be heard due to the absence of his lawyer Farooq H Naek. The hearing was adjourned till August 15.

Earlier, PPP MPA Faryal Talpur’s guards barred journalists who arrived to cover the hearing from entering the court premises. “They misbehaved, threatened and manhandled us, preventing us from entering the court and covering the proceedings properly,” said journalist Ayaz Brohi.

In 2015, the case was initially lodged against former Pakistan Stock Exchange chairman Hussain Lawai, said to be a close aide of Zardari. Later, more people, including Zardari and Talpur, were allegedly found involved in the scam.

They were investigated for alleged connection with fake accounts and suspicious bank transactions amounting to Rs35 billion. The case was originally filed in the banking court in Karachi and was later shifted to Islamabad on the directions of the then chief justice of

Pakistan, Saqib Nisar.