Islamabad (Web Desk): The accountability court in Islamabad on Friday extended judicial remand of former president and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur till October 22 in fake accounts case.
The PPP leaders were produced before Accountability Judge Muhammad Bashir who presided over the hearing of the case regarding money laundering through fake bank accounts and Park Lane Estate Company references.
During today’s hearing, the court was informed that copies of the reference had not yet been provided to all 30 of the suspects nominated in the case.
The court remarked that the indictment process will start once all the accused had a copy of the reference filed against them by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
The court extended the judicial remand of the PPP leaders till October 22.
Asif Ali Zardari was arrested on June 10 for his alleged involvement in the money laundering case. Talpur was arrested four days after him. They are being investigated in the Park Lane case too.
The money laundering case refers to the embezzlement of Rs4.4 billion. NAB has accused Zardari and Talpur of owning shares of the Zardari Group, a company that received some of the embezzled funds.
The Park Lane Estate, on the other hand, is a Karachi-based real estate firm. The anti-graft watchdog had initiated an inquiry against Zardari and his son, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, on charges that they illegally transferred forest land to the firm in collusion with some government officials. On June 12, Bilawal was given a clean chit in the case.
Asif Ali Zardari’s daughters Bakhtawar and Aseefa Bhutto Zardari were present to meet their father. PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also met Asif Ali Zardari.
The PPP chief briefed Zardari on his meeting with Jamiat Ulma-e Islam-F (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who has announced a 'long march' against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government on October 27.