CJ for ‘Panama-style JIT’ for Zardari, Faryal

ISLAMABAD — Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar on Monday, while hearing a case pertaining to money laundering through fake bank accounts, suggested the formation of a Panama-style joint investigation team (JIT) to probe the allegations against former president Asif Ali Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur.

A Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) JIT has been investigating a 2015 case regarding fake accounts and fictitious transactions conducted through 29 ‘benami’ accounts in Summit Bank, Sindh Bank and UBL.

Seven individuals, including Zardari and Faryal, were said to be involved in using those accounts for suspicious transactions which totalled Rs35 billion. The accounts were allegedly used to channel funds received through kickbacks.

The siblings have failed to appear before the FIA JIT on multiple occasions, and have also petitioned the court to form a fresh JIT due to their reservations against the FIA’s Najaf Mirza whom Zardari earlier filed a case against and Bashir Memon, who the former president accuses of holding a grudge against the PPP.

The three-judge bench headed by Justice Nisar indicated that a fresh JIT would be formed in a later hearing.

The CJ, commenting on the matter, said that a JIT similar to the one constituted to probe corruption allegations against incarcerated former prime minister Nawaz Sharif would be set up to investigate the case.

The court also directed Inspector General of Police (IGP) Sindh Amjad Javed Saleemi to submit report regarding harassment of witnesses in the case, within two days.

During the course of proceedings, Director General (DG) Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Bashir Memon while submitting investigation report regarding money laundering

said more than 10 political personalities were allegedly involved in fictitious transactions through fake accounts. Two of the primary accused were former president Asif Ali Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur, who were summoned on more than one occasion but failed to appear before the investigation team, he said. —