A banking court in Karachi on Friday extended till January 7 the pre-arrest bails of PPP co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari and his sibling Faryal Talpur in a case pertaining to alleged money laundering of Rs4.14 billion through fake bank accounts.
On Zardari's call, an assortment of PPP leaders, including former Sindh CM Qaim Ali Shah and former federal minister Rehman Malik as well as party workers had gathered outside the court.
Once the hearing began, a prosecutor of the Federal Investigation Agency told the court that joint investigation team (JIT) probing the case has submitted its report in the Supreme Court and now awaits the apex court's orders.
Subsequently, the court extended the siblings' interim pre-arrest bails for the sixth time and adjourned the case.
Zardari and Talpur are being probed as part of an investigation into a fake bank accounts case in which billions of rupees were allegedly transferred.
The siblings face allegations that they had illegally channelled funds through the said accounts in connivance with the chief executive officers of major banks.
Shah condemns PPP's media trial before judicial trial
Senior PPP leader Khursheed Shah, following the hearing, claimed that by leaking the JIT report a "media trial" of their party was being conducted.
"We have seen the court's good and bad eras as well as their good and bad decision," Shah told media representatives. "We have seen all the judges from Justice Muneer till Justice Saqbi Nisar. We are mentally prepared for everything but our media trial is being conducted.
"No one has seen the JIT report yet it is being leaked from time to time.
The former leader of the opposition in the National Assembly claimed that media trials prior to judicial trials shape up the minds of the people.
"Sub judice matters are discussed but Pemra remains a silent spectator," Shah regretted.