Fake accounts, assets beyond mean cases: Faryal, Khursheed get bail

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Tuesday granted bail to Pakistan People's Party (PPP)'s Leader and former president Asif Ali Zardari's sister Faryal Talpur in a case pertaining to mega money laundering through fake accounts.

The bail was accepted against surety bonds worth Rs 10 millions. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Aamer Farooq announced the judgment after hearing arguments from both sides at large.

During the course of proceedings, the bench asked the Additional Prosecutor General (APG) National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Jahanzeb Bharwana that if the bureau had concluded its investigation from the accused. Bharwana answered in affirmation.

Earlier, NAB submitted its reply to the court and opposed the bail petition of Faryal Talpur. The reply stated that Faryal Talpur had been nominated in a NAB reference and beneficiary of fake accounts.

Meanwhile, an accountability court on Tuesday granted bail to Pakistan People's Party (PPP) senior leader Syed Khursheed Shah in assets beyond mean case. The court ordered the PPP leader to submit surety bonds worth Rs5 million.

On Decmber 10, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had decided to form a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to probe into the case against Pakistan Peoples' Party (PPP) leaders Syed Khursheed Shah.

The anti-graft watchdog had written a letter to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Chairman, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Director General (DG) and Securities and Exchange Companies of Pakistan (SECP) chairman in this regard.

The anti-agency while asking the national institutions to provide officers expert in white collar crime said that the JIT investigation is necessary before filing reference against the PPP leader.