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A banking court in Karachi on Monday extended the interim bail of PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur until Jan 23 in a case pertaining to alleged money laundering of billions through fake bank accounts.
The siblings face allegations that they had illegally channelled funds through the said accounts in connivance with the chief executive officers of major banks.
Both PPP leaders appeared in court for the hearing of the case today amid tight security.
A racket ensued at the premises of the banking court when security officials refused to let PPP supporters enter the courtroom after Zardari and Talpur had made their way inside.
When asked to order the Federal Investigation Agency to file its final charge sheet in the case, the judges said that the SC had halted proceedings in the banking court since it is [currently hearing a similar case].
The apex court last year took suo motu notice of a delay into a 2015 Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) probe into the fake bank accounts. Several bigwigs, including Zardari, Talpur, former president of Summit Bank Hussain Lawai and Omni Group’s Anwar Majeed, were all nominated in the case. Property tycoon Malik Riaz, his son-in-law Zain, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari have also been included in the probe.