Money-laundering, Park Lane cases: AC adjourns hearing till Sept 7

ISLAMABAD: In the wake of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) pending petition before the Supreme Court against the National Accountability (Amendment) Act 2022 and reports of presenting more amendments in accountability law by the government, the Accountability Court on Thursday adjourned the hearing of mega money laundering and Park Lane cases against former president Asif Ali Zardari, his sister Faryal Talpur, and others.

The Accountability Court-II judge, Muhammad Azam Khan, hearing the cases against Zardari, his sister, and others, adjourned the hearing till September 7, after the defense counsel requested the court to adjourn the case as the SC has fixed the PTI’s petition against the NAB Amendment Act 2022 for July 29 (today) for hearing and there are reports that the government may present more amendment in the Accountability Law.

During the hearing, associate of Zardari and Faryal Talpur’s lead counsel’s associate as well as lawyers of the other accused filed separate applications seeking one-day exemption from appearing before it which the court approved.

The NAB prosecutor, Usman Masood, defence counsel Arshad Tabrez and associate of Zardari’s lead counsel Barrister Shiraz appeared before the court. During the hearing, both the defence and the prosecution requested the court to adjourn the case till clarity over the amendment acts.

The court after mutual consent of prosecution and defence counsels adjourned the case till September 7.

The NAB had nominated Zardari, FaryalTalpur, 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 YounasKudwavi, Zain Malik, Haji Haroon, Khawaja Muhammad Salman Younus, PirDarvesh Khan, Imran Khan, Muhammad Aurangzeb, and Bilal Shaikh, in the supplementary reference filed in connection with mega money laundering case.

Those who were nominated by the NAB in the supplementary reference filed in connection with the Park Lane case included, Zardari, Muhammad Iqbal Memon, director Park Lane Company, M/s Park Lane Estate (Private) Limited, Muhammad Iqbal Khan Noori director M/s Parthenon (Pvt) Ltd, Muhammad Hanif Accountant M/s Park Lane Estate, M/s Parthenon (Pvt) Limited, an incorporated entity bearing certificate of incorporation under the provision of the Companies Ordinance 1984, and Hussain Lawai, former president Arif Habib Bank, and the Summit Bank.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022