Fake accounts case: NAB places Faryal under house arrest

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) placed Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Faryal Talpur under house arrest in her Islamabad residence on Friday, days after her brother, former president Asif Ali Zardari, was taken into NAB’s custody in the same case — the fake bank accounts investigation.

On Monday, the Islamabad High Court rejected the two leaders’ bail pleas in connection to the high-profile case of alleged money laundering through fake banks accounts. In its orders, the court allowed the NAB to arrest Zardari and Talpur, both of whom now have the option to appeal the order in the Supreme Court.

The NAB did not arrest Talpur the time of Zardari’s detention because her warrants had not been issued. Geo News sources said the arrest warrants were issued on the request of the NAB combined investigation team.

According to the sources, an arrest warrant signed by NAB Chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal for Talpur’s arrest was handed to NAB Rawalpindi three days ago, following which NAB Rawalpindi constituted a team to arrest the PPP leader.

Officials said the NAB will not move Talpur to their offices but she would be held at at her Islamabad residence, which has been declared a sub-jail for the purpose. NAB officials also summoned a team of doctors at the sub-jail to conduct Talpur’s medical examination.

The bureau is expected to produce Talpur before an accountability court today (Saturday) to seek her physical remand. PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, at a news conference following her arrest, alleged the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government is “using blackmail and pressure to run institutions, of which NAB is only one example”.

He claimed the arrests of his father and aunt were announced dates a budget and Pakistan Economic Survey were to be presented so the people’s attention is diverted from what he termed “government’s economic terrorism”.

He also claimed the government “knows they lack a majority and their government can collapse at any moment, which is why are targeting the opposition”. “If they pass the budget in this manner — without issuing production orders for all MNAs — it is tantamount to rigging,” he said.

On Thursday, the NAB issued an arrest warrant for former president Asif Ali Zardari’s sister Faryal Talpur, Geo News sources said.