Zardari moves SC to stop FIA investigation in fake accounts case

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: Former president Asif Ali Zardari on Friday filed an application in the Supreme Court (SC) seeking orders to bar the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) from pursuing its investigation in the fake accounts case.

The plea, filed by Zardari’s counsel Sardar Latif Khosa, contends that a previous SC order directed the joint investigation team (JIT) to assist the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in the investigation.

It states that the court’s orders were being violated as the FIA was still continuing its investigation in the fake accounts case.
According to the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairman’s application, the FIA recently summoned his legal adviser, Abu Bakr Zardari, and questioned him about some particular bank accounts.

The application states that NAB and FIA’s parallel investigations in the fake accounts case were illegal and in violation of the SC’s orders.

Zardari’s plea requests the SC to order the JIT and FIA to stop their investigative pursuits and remain limited to their court-mandated role of assisting the NAB investigation.

The former president’s move to approach the apex court came a day after a banking court in Karachi extended his pre-arrest bail in the fake accounts case till March 5.

Prior to that, on January 28, Zardari and his sister, Faryal Talpur, submitted a petition in the SC to review and recall the January 7 decision in the fake accounts case.

In the civil review petition prepared by Latif Khosa, the former president and his sister challenged the decision wherein the SC – in light of a report prepared by the JIT – directed NAB to conduct a fresh investigation within two months and file references against the accused.