Former President Asif Ali Zardari Saturday submitted replies of the questions asked by Combined Investigation Team (CIT) of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in the form of a questionnaire in connection with the fake bank accounts scam. Zardari and his son Bilawal Bhutto Zardari appeared before the CIT on March 20 and were handed over questionnaires. They were directed to submit replies within 10 days to the investigating team but the former president failed to submit replies within time.
Sources said that Co-Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Zardari submitted replies of the questionnaire, consisting of 54 questions related to the M/S Park Lane Company and bullet-proof vehicles, through his counsel to the CIT. They said Zardari in his written response adopted the stance that the NAB had no jurisdiction pertaining to the Park Lane case as, according to the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) 1999, the accountability watchdog cannot investigate matters of a private company. "Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari have no affiliation with the Parthenon Company," said the sources while quoting Zardari's replies.
According to a report of a joint investigation report (JIT) formed to probe fake bank accounts case, Rs 357.7 million were transferred from 12 identified fake accounts into the account of M/S Parthenon (Pvt) Limited. Moreover, it was found that an amount of Rs 81 million was transferred into two fake accounts by M/S Parthenon (Pvt) Limited. Sources disclosed Zardari in his reply said he had purchased Park Lane Estate in 1989 and Iqbal Memon, Bilawal, Rahmat Ullah, Muhammad Younus and Altaf Hussain were his shareholders. Zardari said he was the owner of only 25 percent shares of M/S Park Lane, they added.
Sources while quoting Zardari said he had resigned from the directorship of the Park Lane in 2008 before becoming president of Pakistan.
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