Transfer of money-laundering case: Zardari, Faryal challenge verdict of banking court

Former President Asif Ali Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur on Saturday challenged the verdict of Banking Court to transfer the money-laundering case to Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC), Islamabad and requested the court to set aside it. The duo challenged the judgment of banking court through two different petitions in SHC and prayed the court to suspend the operation of the order. Chairman National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and Presiding Officer Special Court of offences in respect of banks have been made respondents in the petition.
The banking court in Karachi announced its verdict a day before for transfer of the money-laundering case to ATC Islamabad on the plea of the NAB. Asif Ali Zardari, Faryal Talpur along with others have been implicated in the money-laundering case for alleged dubious transactions from fake bank accounts. Asif Ali Zardari and Faryal Talpur arrived in SHC in person to file the petitions against the verdict of banking court.
Through their petitions, they contended that order of banking court is bad in law as well as in fact that is based on summarizes and conjectures. They also submitted the said order is contrary to law applicable thereto and judgments of the Supreme Court in the matter related to money-laundering case.
They also stated that the order of the banking court has been passed in ignorance of the fact that all the essential persons, documents and witnesses are within the jurisdiction of the court and argued that transfer of the case to Islamabad will cause great inconvenience to the accused persons and witnesses, which is against the principles of natural justice. Petitioners also raised the questions on the judge of the banking court and stated that by passing the order to transfer the case to Islamabad, the judge failed to exercise the jurisdiction vested in it by law.
Referring to application of Chairman NAB for transfer of the case in banking court, which was accepted, petitioners stated that his request was based on misunderstanding and non-reading of judgment of apex court as no order was passed for transfer of FIR, which was registered in mid of last year on money-laundering in Karachi. Petitioners stated that this case neither falls in the purview of NAB nor there is any mention of its role in the FIR registered in this case. They said that this case has not related to corruption so it can't be transferred to national accountability court.
They also contested the transfer from Sindh to other parts of the county on the ground that it would be unlawful and pleaded the court to set aside the decision of the banking court in this regard.