FIA summons Zardari, Talpur for fourth time in money laundering case

KARACHI: Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has summoned former president Asif Ali Zardari and his sister, Faryal Talpur, on Monday in a money laundering case.

The FIA issued notices on Saturday to the former president and his sister to appear at the agency’s headquarters in Islamabad on Monday.

This is the fourth time the FIA has summoned the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairman and his sister. Despite earlier summons, Zardari and Talpur failed to appear before FIA’s joint investigation team probing a multi-billion money laundering scam.

On August 17, a local banking court in Karachi had issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Zardari and other absconding suspects in the ongoing probe.

The court ordered the suspects to be arrested and presented before it by September 4.

However, on August 18, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) approved the former president’s petition for protective bail in the case.

Zardari had filed a petition in the IHC through his counsels Aitzaz Ahsan and Latif Khosa after a local banking court on August 17 issued non-bailable arrest warrants for the former president and other absconding suspects in the ongoing probe.

The FIA is investigating 32 people in relation to money laundering from fictitious accounts, including Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur. Zardari’s close aide Hussain Lawai was arrested last month in connection with the probe.

Over 20 ‘benami’ accounts at some private banks were opened in 2013, 2014 and 2015 from where transactions worth billions of rupees were made, according to sources. The amount, according to FIA sources, is said to be black money gathered from various kickbacks, commissions and bribes.