PPP leaders Faryal Talpur, Khursheed Shah granted bail in NAB cases

Published December 17, 2019
Faryal Talpur is nominated in a case pertaining to money laundering through fake accounts, while Khursheed Shah is nominated in multiple corruption cases, including one of accumulation of assets beyond known means. — Dawn.com
Faryal Talpur is nominated in a case pertaining to money laundering through fake accounts, while Khursheed Shah is nominated in multiple corruption cases, including one of accumulation of assets beyond known means. — Dawn.com

PPP leader Faryal Talpur was granted bail by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday, in a case pertaining to money laundering through fake accounts which is being probed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

She was granted bail against surety bonds worth Rs10 million.

During today's hearing, the court asked NAB's additional prosecutor general Jahanzaib Bharwana if the bureau was done interrogating Talpur. Bharwana responded in the affirmative.

In response to the court's inquiry regarding Talpur's involvement in the case, NAB's counsel insisted that money, allegedly transferred to Zardari Group's bank account from a fake bank account, was withdrawn later by a cheque signed by Talpur.

NAB had taken the PPP leader into custody earlier this year to interrogate her in the case. She was kept in Adiala jail.

Talpur had filed a bail application earlier this month, maintaining that she is the mother of a differently-abled child. In order to care for her child, she asked the court to grant bail until the completion of the trail. Her appeal was meant to be heard last week but was adjourned until today as NAB had not submitted a response.

Her brother Asif Ali Zardari was also granted bail by the IHC last week on medical grounds.

Zardari, Talpur, and others accused face charges of corruption through fake bank accounts and embezzlement in the financial facility for Park Lane Private Limited and Parthenon (Pvt) Limited. NAB alleged that the national exchequer suffered a loss of Rs3.77 billion because of the irregularities.

Shah ordered to pay Rs5m for release

PPP stalwart Khursheed Shah was also released on bail by an accountability court in Sukkur, DawnNewsTV reported. The court ordered him to pay Rs5m in surety bonds for his release.

Shah was brought to the court via ambulance from the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) today after a five-day judicial remand granted to NAB expired.

NAB's prosecutor requested the court to grant a further remand of 15 days, but Shah's counsel and Senator Raza Rabbani argued that a 90-day period since his arrest had already lapsed without the anti-corruption body filing a reference or presenting any evidence to the court.

The prosecution, in response, said that a reference against 18 people, including had been prepared and had been submitted to NAB chairman retired justice Javed Iqbal which contains evidence implicating him in Rs1.24 billion worth of corruption.

The court granted Shah bail and warned him to appear before it when NAB submits the reference against him.

The PPP leader was arrested by NAB's Sukkur and Rawalpindi teams in September this year and was later shifted to Sukkur.

Multiple corruption cases against him are under investigation with NAB. In 2012, an accountability court had directed NAB to file a reference against him on a complaint pertaining to alleged accumulation of illegitimate assets.

In 2013, NAB had reopened two corruption cases against Shah under the directives of the Lahore High Court.

In July this year, the NAB chairman had approved nine inquiries against different personalities, including Shah.

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