Fake accounts cases: Hearing against Zardari, Nawaz, Gilani and others adjourned

ISLAMABAD: The Accountability Courts adjourned hearing of corruption references against former president Asif Ali Zardari, two former prime ministers, Nawaz Sharif and Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, and others pertaining to multi-billion rupees fake bank accounts cases due to lawyers' protest.

Accountability Court-II judge Muhammad Azam Khan, while hearing mega money laundering case against Zardari, his sister Faryal Talpur, and others, adjourned the hearing of the case till November 17, without any proceedings due to a protest of the Islamabad Bar Association (IBA).

At the start of the hearing Zardari, Talpur and other accused's counsel filed separate applications seeking one day exemption for their clients, which the court approved.

The NAB had nominated Zardari, Faryal Talpur, Hussain Lawai, Anwar Majid, Abdul Ghani Majeed, Taha Raza, Arif Khan, Muhammad Umair, Syed Hussain Faisal Shah Jamote, Azam Wazir Khan, Nimr Majid, Mustafa Z Majid, Ali Kemal Malik, M Younas Kudwavi, Zain Malik, Haji Haroon, Khawaja Muhammad Salman Younus, Pir Darvesh Khan, Imran Khan, Muhammad Aurangzeb, and Bilal Shaikh, in the supplementary reference filed in connection with the mega money laundering case.

Similarly, Accountability Court-III judge Syed Asghar Ali adjourned the hearing of toshakhana case against Zardari, Gilani, Sharif and other accused without any progress due to lawyers' protest and adjourned hearing till November 17.

The court summoned two prosecution witnesses during the next hearing for recording of their statements.

The same court on September 9 hearing of the case had declared Sharif a proclaimed offender for failing to appear before court, despite being summoned multiple times and indicted former president Asif Ali Zardari, former prime minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani and others in the same case.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had filed the toshakhana reference against Zardari, and two former prime ministers, Sharif and Gilani, and others, for allegedly acquiring vehicles and gifts from toshakhana in violation of rules and regulations.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020