ISLAMABAD: The Accountability Court hearing mega money laundering and Park Lane cases against former president Asif Ali Zardari, his sister Faryal Talpur, and others adjourned the hearing on Wednesday due to absence of Zardari’s counsel Farooq H Naek who was supposed to argue over acquittal application filed by Zardari and other accused under the National Accountability (second amendment) Ordinance 2021.
Accountability Court-II judge, Muhammad Azam Khan, while hearing the cases against Zardari, his sister, and others and Park Lane case against Zardari and others separately, adjourned hearing of both the cases till April 27 and April 28.
During the hearing, associate of Zardari and Faryal Talpur’s lead counsel’s associate Barrister Shiraz Rajpar as well as lawyers of the other accused filed separate applications seeking one-day exemption from appearing before it, which the court has approved.
NAB prosecutor Usman Masood, defence counsel Arshad Tabreza, and associate of Zardari’s lead counsel Barrister Shiraz appeared before the court. Zardari’s lead counsel’s associate told the court that Naek was busy before other court and he prayed before the court that the arguments over the acquittal pleas of Zardari and Talpur filed under the National Accountability (Second Amendment) Ordinance 2021 be postponed till the next hearing.
The court approved his request and adjourned hearing of both the cases till April 27 and April 28.
The NAB had nominated Zardari, Faryal Talpur, Hussain Lawai, Anwar Majid, Abdul Ghani Majeed, Taha Raza, Arif Khan, Muhammad Umair, Syed Hussain Faisal Shah Jamote, Azam Wazir Khan, Nimr Majid, Mustafa Z Majid, Ali Kemal Malik, M Younas Kudwavi, Zain Malik, Haji Haroon, Khawaja Muhammad Salman Younus, Pir Darvesh Khan, Imran Khan, Muhammad Aurangzeb, and Bilal Shaikh, in the supplementary reference filed in connection with mega money laundering case.
Those who were nominated by the NAB in the supplementary reference filed in connection with the Park Lane case included, Zardari, Muhammad Iqbal Memon, director Park Lane Company, M/s Park Lane Estate (Private) Limited, Muhammad Iqbal Khan Noori director M/s Parthenon (Pvt) Ltd, Muhammad Hanif Accountant M/s Park Lane Estate, M/s Parthenon (Pvt) Limited, an incorporated entity bearing certificate of incorporation under the provision of the Companies Ordinance 1984, and Hussain Lawai, former president Arif Habib Bank, and the Summit Bank.
The other accused included Abdul Ghani Majid, shareholder/director Regent Service (Pvt) Ltd multiple companies known as Omni Group, Khawaja Anwar Majid shareholder director Omni Group, Taha Raza public relationship manager Arif Habib Bank now Summit Bank, Farooq Abdullah area branch manager HBL, Uzair Naeem former AVP Summit Bank, M/s Tracom (Pvt) Ltd through GM south- an incorporated entity bearing certificate of incorporation under the provision of the companies office, Muhammad Saleem Faisal General Manager (GM) M/s Tracom (Pvt) Limited, and Zahir Ismail.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022