In the wake of damning Joint Investigation (JIT) report in fake accounts case, involving top leaders of Pakistan People's Party (PPP) leaders, the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has geared up efforts for a regime change in Sindh.
In an apparent move to strengthen the anti-PPP camp in the province, Federal Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry will travel to Sindh today (Monday) and hold talks with its coalition partners. He will also visit Badin, Sukkur and Larkana.
Talking to journalists, Chaudhry said that Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah should step down in light of JIT report in the fake accounts case, as he is accused in a suo motu case pertaining to money laundering of billions of rupees through fictitious bank accounts.
Before his departure for Karachi, the minister will meet Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday morning. He said that that the prime focus of his visit is to discuss the post-JIT report situation with political leaders of interior Sindh, including Awami Tehreek chief Ayaz Latif Palijo and Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) leaders. The sources within PTI said that during his visit to Karachi, the minister will persuade the political players in the province to support the demand jointly made by MPAs belonging to GDA and PTI for resignation of Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah.
"The minister has been given the gigantic task by the Prime Minister related to the political set-up in Sindh....he will take top political leaders of Sindh into confidence regarding JIT report on fake bank accounts as there are people within PPP who wants to form a forward block against their own party's provincial government," said a senior PTI leader on condition of anonymity.
When contacted, PPP secretary general Farhatullah Babar told Business Recorder that there exists no such group within the PPP which wants to create a forward block, adding the claim by PTI that a forward block is set to be created, is nothing but propaganda.
"We've fought our cases in the courts and we are ready to fight this JIT report before the court," he added. To a question, he said that PPP co-chairman Asif Zardari will not appear before the apex court today (Monday) and his counsel Farooq H Naek, will appear in the court on his behalf. About the chief, he said that he may also not appear before the court, and his counsel will represent him before the apex court.
Following the apex court constituted JIT's report, the government placed CM Shah along with PPP top tier leadership including its co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Faryal Talpur and former chief minister Qaim Ali Shah & others. on the exit control list (ECL). Zardari's lawyer Farooq H Naek, close aides Hussain Lawai and Omni Group's owner Anwar Majeed are also being investigated by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in the matter.
The report stated that a real estate development company was involved in money laundering of Rs 10.2 billion, while kickbacks of Rs 1.36 billion were laundered through accounts of 19 contractors. The JIT report also revealed that Rs 1.2 billion had been transferred to Zardari's sister Faryal Talpur from JV Opal account and she had admitted it during her appearance before the team. It claimed this money was spent to procure properties in Tando Allahyar and Lahore.
The report explained that Omni Group had obtained Rs 53.4 billion loans by setting up different companies because under the banking laws a company could not secure a loan of more than Rs4 billion. The report further revealed that expenses of Zardari's house were also paid through these companies.
The JIT report further mentioned that Rs1.4 billion was sent abroad through illegal means of Hawala/Hundi. In December 2015, the FIA began a discreetly investigating certain bank accounts through which multi-billion rupee transactions have been made. According to reports, information regarding the fake accounts came to the fore when an intelligence agency picked up a prominent money changer in an unrelated case.
As the monitoring and investigation of these suspicious accounts continued, it surfaced that five of these accounts in two banks had been used for transactions worth around Rs 15 billion. Investigation showed the accounts were operated by fake companies. Funds were credited into these accounts from contractors with multi-billion rupee contracts with the Sindh government. The money was found to have been transferred to accounts of companies owned and operated by the Omni Group, whose chairperson, Anwar Majeed, is a close aide of Zardari.