Interim charge-sheet acceptance: SHC issues notices to FIA, others on Faryal’s plea

The Sindh High Court on Tuesday issued notices to the Federal Investigation Agency, federal law officer and others on the petition of Pakistan Peoples Party leader Faryal Talpur challenging the acceptance of the interim charge sheet against her by a banking court hearing money laundering charges.

Talpur, who is also the sister of former president and PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari, submitted in the petition that the FIA had booked her and others in a multi-billion rupee money laundering case against a private bank’s former president, Hussain Lawai, and other influential businessman.

Her counsel submitted that his client’s name was not mentioned in the FIR as an accused however the FIA has filed an interim charge sheet before the banking court, nominating the petitioner as co-accused in the case and declaring her an absconder even though she was contesting the election for national and provincial assembly constituencies from Nawabshah.

He submitted that as per the FIR, the sum of Rs15 million had been deposited in M/s Zardari group’s bank account but as such there were no specific allegations against the petitioner in the FIR. He added that the allegations levelled against her in the money laundering case as well as the charges of fraud did not list the petitioner as a beneficiary in the FIR. He submitted that the FIR and interim charge sheet was FIA’s mala fide act to defame the petitioner and her brother Asif Ali Zardari at time of elections in order to give political gain to PPP’s opponents. He further said the FIR and the interim charge sheet do not suggest that the petitioner has been involved in any money laundering or that she has committed the offence of forgery.

The court was requested to declare the acceptance of the interim charge sheet by the banking court as illegal and to quash the FIR with regard to allegations levelled against the petitioner. After preliminary hearing on Tuesday, the court issued notices to the additional attorney general, FIA and others and sought their comments on August 9. The SHC also directed the petitioner’s counsel to argue on the maintainability of the petition.