The court ordered NAB to complete the investigation within two months.
Lahore (Pakistan Point News – 7th January, 2019) The Supreme Court has transferred the fake accounts case to National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
A three-judge Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar and comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Faisal Arab, ordered NAB to launch a fresh probe into the case in the light of Joint Investigation Team (JIT) report and complete the investigation within two months.
The court also ordered to exclude the Names of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah from the Exit Control List.
PPP Chairman's name was also ordered to be removed from the concerned JIT report.
"The accountability watchdog can probe Bilawal and CM Shah independently. If after the investigations a reference can be formed, then it should be filed,” the court remarked.
The court observed that Murad Ali Shah should have been given the right to state his opinion while the PPP Chairman, who was out of the country pursuing his studies, had nothing to do with the businesses of his father.
The CJP remarked that the PPP chairman was heading the legacy of his mother.
Attorney-General Anwar Mansoor Khan told the Court that the matter of placing names of 172 suspects on ECL was referred to Interior Ministry and progress on the issue is expected till Thursday.
The Court also ordered to remove the names of Farooq H. Naek and his family from the ECL.
The Federal Investigation Agency is investigating 32 people in relation to money laundering from fictitious accounts, including Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur. Zardari’s close aide Hussain Lawai was arrested in July, 2018 in connection with the probe.
Property tycoon Malik Riaz, his son-in-law Zain, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari have also been included in the probe.
The JIT investigating the matter revealed a close nexus between Zardari Group, Omni Group and Bahria Town. The JIT report revealed that at least 29 bank accounts identified as fake had been used for money laundering of Rs42 billion.
The JIT had requested to place the names of 172 accused in the ECL which was approved by the government.
