RAWALPINDI, February 3: The National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) office in Rawalpindi has sought more relevant data from the concerned departments in the case pertaining to fake bank accounts, in which Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, his sister Faryal Talpur and Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Murad Ali Shah have been accused of laundering multi-billion rupees.
Reportedly, sixteen other cases are being investigated by the NAB and the initial findings have been sent to the department’s headquarter. According to details, NAB Rawalpindi’s Director General Irfan Naeem Mangi, who was a member of the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) formed to probe into Panama Papers leak case against former premier Nawaz Sharif, has been conducting investigations into the case.
The bureau will lodge reference against Zardari, his sister Talpur, Murad, real estate tycoon Malik Riaz and other influential people after the investigations are concluded. The JIT in its report has accused 172 people of having fake bank accounts and indulging in money laundering, following which their names were placed on the Exit Control List (ECL).
However, Bilawal and Murad Ali Shah’s names have been removed from the no-fly list after the Supreme Court orders.
According to the Supreme Court’s order, over 170 accused including Asif Zardari, Faryal Talpur and Malik Riaz will continue to remain on the ECL. On Jan 7, the Supreme Court of Pakistan, in light of the Joint Investigation Team report, ordered the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to conduct a thorough inquiry into the case and wrap it up within two months.
Chairman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Asif Ali Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur filed a review petition on Jan 28 against the Supreme Court decision in the fake bank accounts case.-DNA
