Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and former president Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday were questioned by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in the fake accounts case.
Bilawal who was questioned for 40 minutes was asked questions pertaining to the Park Lane Estate Company. Sources said the PPP chairman told NAB officials he was unaware of the financial transactions of this company.
Former president Asif Ali Zardari was questioned on the Zardari Group for approximately 50 minutes.
According to sources, Bilawal and Zardari were separated at the NAB headquarters and are being questioned by two separate investigation teams led by DG NAB Rawalpindi Irfan Mangi.
According to reports, a questionnaire was also supposed to be given to Bilawal Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari.
Upon arriving at the headquarters, Asif Ali Zardari’s vehicle was allowed to enter the premises as he is the former president, while the Bilawal’s vehicle was stopped at the gate. NAB officials wanted Bilawal to walk inside but he refused. Later, the PPP chairman’s vehicle was allowed to enter the premises. Aseefa Bhutto Zardari accompanied her brother.
PPP workers from across the country reached the federal capital to express solidarity with the party chairman. A large number of PPP workers were present outside the NAB headquarters, while several others were arrested by the police.
NAB has summoned Bilawal and Zardari in Park Lane Estate Company probe.
Last week, a banking court in Karachi had ordered the transfer of the case to Islamabad and summoned Zardari and Bilawal on March 20.
On Tuesday, the Sindh High Court (SHC) granted a 10-day protective bail to Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur but rejected their request to issue a stay order against a banking court's decision allowing NAB to transfer the fake bank accounts case to Rawalpindi.
Turning down Zardari’s request to issue a stay order against the banking court’s ruling, the SHC bench issued notices to the NAB prosecutor and director general of NAB Karachi office summoning a response from them within a week. The court further said a decision on the matter will be taken after listening to all parties in the case.
The case
The FIA is investigating 32 people in relation to money laundering from fictitious accounts, including Zardari and Talpur. Zardari’s close aide Hussain Lawai was arrested in July last year in connection with the probe.
The former president’s other close aide and Omni Group chairman Anwar Majeed a close aide and Omni Group chairman and his son, Abdul Ghani, were arrested by FIA in August 2018.
Over 20 ‘benami’ accounts at some private banks were opened in 2013, 2014 and 2015 from where transactions worth billions of rupees were made, according to sources.
The amount, according to FIA sources, is said to be black money gathered from various kickbacks, commissions and bribes.
