Money laundering case: Zardari, Talpur submit petition challenging apex court verdict

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: Co-Chairman of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Asif Ali Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur has submitted a plea in the Supreme Court (SC) to review its decision in the money laundering case lodged against the party’s top leadership, on Monday.

Former president Zardari’s lawyer, Latif Khosa prepared the petition prepared by the Latif Khosa, and the PPP leaders have challenged the earlier decision by the apex court on January 7.

Earlier, after the joint investigation team (JIT) report, the apex court had directed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to conduct a fresh investigation within two months and file references against the accused.

The JIT had named the top tier of PPP’s leadership including Asif Ali Zardari, Faryal Talpur, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah. Omni Group’s Anwar Majeed and his son Abdul Ghani Majeed, former Pakistan Stock Exchange chairperson Hussain Lawai, Summit Bank Senior Vice-President Taha Raza are also among 32 people being investigated by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

Later, the NAB constituted a combine investigation team (CIT) led by DG Rawalpindi Irfan Naeem Mangi under the supervision of NAB chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal.

The petition stated that the “impugned order suffered from errors floating on the surface of the record”. It also argues that the directions issued in the SC order “are prejudicial to the petitioner in any futuristic eventualities of a fair trial and due process will not be possible under Article 10 (a) of the Constitution”.

“The powers under Article 184(3) of the Constitution are not unlimited, unfettered, completely discretionary, knowing no bounds,” reads the petition.

The petitioners also claim that the JIT had exceeded its mandate and the scope given to it.