PESHAWAR: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Monday arrested co-chairman of Pakistan People Party (PPP) and former president Asif Ali Zardari in fake bank accounts case, along with his sister Faryal Talpur on Monday.
The arrests were made by the NAB officials from Zardari house in Islamabad after a division bench of Islamabad High Court (IHC) rejected Zardari’s plea seeking an extension in their interim bail in fake bank accounts case.
Asif Zardari has arrived in Islamabad High Court with a heavy contingent of sitting and former Members National Assembly (MNAs), senators of his party and his daughter Asifa Bhutto. However, they went back immediately from the court announced the court order.
The court had also allowed the national accountability bureau to arrest Zardari and Faryal Talpur in fake accounts case for further investigation. The former president and his sister, Faryar Talpur, have denied all the charges levelled against them and alleged that NAB has been used by the government for political victimization of opposition parties leadership.
The two leaders were put under investigation after the government authority discovered a number of fake accounts registered in the manes of poor people. The NAB contends that the accounts were flooded with cash before being suddenly emptied by the powerful political figures. The Supreme Court of Pakistan had also established a commission to probe the case and found that at least $400m had passed the several thousand fake accounts.
The leadership of Pakistan people party has earlier announced that they will stage massive protests across the country if their leaders were arrested. However, on Monday, the PPP chairman has urged the workers and leaders of the party to remain peaceful. Bilawal added that the party leadership will wait for the written order of the Islamabad high court before deciding the future course of action.
