KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Friday sought arguments from Pakistan Peoples Party MNA Faryal Talpur’s counsel in the light of the findings of the Supreme Court-appointed Joint Investigation Team (JIT) that probed into the allegations of money laundering and ‘fake accounts’ against her, former president Asif Ali Zardari and others.

A two-judge bench, headed by Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, fixed the date to settle the matter on Feb 15 while hearing a petition seeking her disqualification for allegedly holding an iqama [work permit] granted by the United Arab Emirates. The petitioner, Moazzam Abbasi, had moved the court in May last year challenging the eligibility of Ms Talpur as MNA.

At the outset of Friday’s proceedings, Advocate Khawaja Shams-ul-Islam, the petitioner’s counsel, contended that the SC-appointed JIT had made startling disclosures about the assets of Ms Talpur, Mr Zardari, and other party leaders. He also produced a copy of the JIT’s report and argued that it showed that she possessed a bungalow in Karachi’s Clifton area in the name of her front-man, who was also her driver and a confidante. He added that the last page of the JIT report referred to the properties possessed by Ms Talpur abroad, contradicting the statement she made in her election nomination papers that she did not possess any offshore properties/assets. Conclu­ding his arguments, the counsel said that the superior courts had disqualified political leaders for hiding their assets abroad, thus Ms Talpur ought also to be declared disqualified to run for elections.

Hears views of counsel on JIT report and sets date of next hearing for mid-February

A junior counsel appearing on behalf of the respondent’s counsel, Advocate Farooq H. Naek, informed the court that Mr Naek was also the chairman of the Senate’s Standing Committee on Finance and was busy in a meeting of the upper house’s body. He requested an adjournment to enable to him appear and advance his arguments.

The bench put the JIT’s report on its record and fixed the matter for a hearing on Feb 15. Mr Naek had earlier concluded his arguments on the plea.

The petitioner had submitted through his counsel that Ms Talpur, a sister of former president Mr Zardari, had set up a company in the name of her daughter in Dubai in 2002, but that she concealed from the Election Commission of Pakistan the details of the money transferred to Dubai. In May, ahead of the general elections, the petitioner accused Ms Talpur of holding a UAE iqama and not disclosing it in her nomination papers. It was argued that the concealment of facts was tantamount to the violation of Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution, read with Sections 99(I)(f) of the Represen­tation of Peoples Act, 1976.

Published in Dawn, February 2nd, 2019