The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has recently lodged another case against former President of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari. The case involves queries regarding Asif Zardari’s property in Manhattan, Newyork, which as per NAB, he has not disclosed.
According to NAB, no legal money was sent abroad for buying the apartment in question; however, the apartment is listed as Asif Zardari’s property. NAB is seeking a response from the former President, demanding how he managed to arrange the money for the apartment.
Furthermore, NAB has also asked Asif Zardari to submit the details of his apartment with the authority by July 24th.
However, Asif Ali Zardari, in response has filed for pre-arrest bail in the case with Islamabad High Court, which he submitted through his counsel Farooq H Naek, making NAB chairman, DG Rawalpindi, and the investigation officer as respondents in the case.
Read more: Asif Zardari is not thinking of returning money to the government, Sardar Latif Khosa
The former president wrote in the petition that he received NAB’s notice on June 15 and required time to gather information about the property as he is currently unwell and is going through treatments.
He also accused NAB of targeting him.
“There is a history of NAB targeting me,” stated Asif Zardari in the petition. “I am suffering from several ailments, and getting treatment from doctors,” he added.
Two days ago, Asif Ali Zardari was admitted to a private hospital in Karachi due to “exertion and exhaustion” caused by his frequent traveling, the party’s Information Secretary Shazia Atta Marri said on Friday.
Former President Asif Ali Zardari has been admitted to a private hospital in Karachi following advice from his doctors due to exertion and exhaustion from travelling for court appearances and Budget session.
— Shazia Atta Marri (@ShaziaAttaMarri) July 2, 2021
Zardari’s fake accounts case
Asif Ali Zardari has been a consistent target of corruption accusations. Recently, Fawad Chaudhry on Saturday said that NAB had recovered Rs. 33 billion in the fake accounts case involving Asif Ali Zardari, adding that the actual financial irregularities in the case were around RS. 5000 billion.
The fake accounts case first began in 2015 when the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) registered a case against Pakistan Stock Exchange chairman Hussain Lawai, who was widely believed to be close to former President Zardari.
Read more: Arrest warrants for Asif Ali Zardari issued
Due to the slow pace of the probe, the Supreme Court in July 2018 directed FIA to submit a detailed report on the matter. Several important PPP members were nominated in the case, including Asif Zardari, his sister Faryal Talpur, and his son Bilawal Bhutto.
A Joint Investigation Team (JIT) was subsequently formed in September 2018 on request of the FIA to probe the matter, where later it was discovered that there was a close nexus between the Zardari Group, Omni Group, and Bahria Town, and at least 29 bank accounts identified as fake had been used for money laundering of Rs 42 billion.
Read more: NAB indicts Asif Ali Zardari, Faryal Talpur in money laundering case