Zardari barred from flying abroad

ISLAMABAD: Former president Asif Ali Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur's names have been placed on the Exit Control List (ECL), sources informed the Geo News late Monday.

The names have been placed on the ECL on the orders of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, the sources said.

The apex court earlier in the day summoned Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur and others in a case relating to Rs35 billion money laundering scam.

However, the Ministry of Interior said that it had not received the orders yet. Meanwhile, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) convened a meeting to deliberate upon the situation.

Taking a suo motu notice, the court ordered both to appear before it on July 12. It also directed Inspector General of Police (IGP), Sindh, Amjad Javid Saleemi, to ensure their presence in the court.

Prior to that, sources said that Zardari's name was placed on the FIA's 'stop-list' — a provisional list barring suspects from flying abroad before they are formally placed on the ECL.

They said that FIA personnel at all land and air immigration points across the country had been apprised of the decision. Previously, it was reported that Zardari was among seven suspects placed on the 'stop-list'. Last week, the FIA registered a case in Karachi over a money laundering scandal of Rs35 billion said to implicate politicians, businessmen and bankers.

On July 6, the agency arrested Stock Exchange of Pakistan Chairman Hussain Lawai, who is considered to be a close aide of Zardari. The FIA officials maintained that 32 people, including Lawai, are being investigated for laundering billions of rupees through fictitious bank accounts.

The FIA inquiry started when the financial monitoring unit of the State Bank of Pakistan generated a 'suspicious transaction report' in January this year regarding 10 bank accounts.

Sources maintain that over 20 ‘benami’ accounts in a private bank were opened in 2013, 2014 and 2015 from where transactions worth billions of rupees were made.

The amount according to FIA sources is said to be black money gathered from various kickbacks, commissions and bribes. But despite these huge transactions, the bank authorities never reported them to the authorities concerned, including the FIA.

On Sunday, the Supreme Court ordered to place the names of heads of three private banks involved in the scam on the Exit Control List (ECL).

The order came as Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Mian Saqib Nisar took notice of the slow pace of inquiry into the case. The apex court also summoned seven fake bank account holders and 13 beneficiaries on July 12.