Court extends Asif Zardari’s physical remand by 11 days

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: An accountability court has extended former president Asif Ali Zardari’s physical remand by 11 days on Friday in the fake accounts case.

According to details, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairman, Asif Zardari appeared before accountability court judge Muhammad Arshad upon completion of his physical remand.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had requested for 14-day physical remand extension of the PPP leader.

The court has ordered Zardari to be presented before the court on June 26.

On June 10, NAB arrested Zardari in the fake bank accounts case from Islamabad after a bench of the Islamabad High Court had rejected a plea filed by Zardari and his sister, Faryal Talpur, seeking an extension in their interim bail in the fake bank accounts case.

The case pertains to transactions worth hundreds of millions of rupees to the two leaders’ private companies, allegedly, through fake bank accounts.

ISLAMABAD: National Accountability Bureau (NAB) will produce former president Asif Ali Zardari before accountability court in fake bank accounts case on Friday (today).

According to reports, NAB will request the court to extend Zardari’s remand.

Strict security arrangements have been made to avoid any untoward situation while unnecessary people have also been barred from entering the premises.

On June 10, Asif Ali Zardari had surrendered himself to a team of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) after Islamabad High Court (IHC) rejected his and his sister Faryal Talpur’s pre-arrest bail plea in the money laundering case.

Following the refusal of bail, a team of anti-corruption watchdog accompanied by police personnel had reached the residence of PPP co-chairman and arrested him.

Asif Zardari was taken to NAB office in Rawalpindi where he was shifted to cell no 2.

On the occasion, small scuffles erupted between police and supporters of PPP outside his family’s residence in Islamabad as he was taken into custody.

The charges in the latest case centre around allegations Zardari laundered vast sums of money through suspect bank accounts and companies.

NAB is conducting investigations in pursuance of the Supreme Court’s verdict in the money laundering of billions through fake accounts case wherein it forwarded the joint investigation team (JIT) report with directions to investigate and file references.

Zardari has repeatedly dismissed allegations he had a hand in the scheme. Never popular and always shrouded in controversy, Zardari — who was once jailed for 11 years for corruption — stepped down from the president s office in 2013. But he has continued to serve as co-chairman of the opposition PPP.