ISLAMABAD – Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday has approved permanentbail of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari in fakebank accounts case on medical grounds. According to details, the formerpresident was granted this relaxation in the matter of suspicioustransaction worth Rs8 billion.

Meanwhile, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in Rawalpindi hasneither accepted the court’s order nor opposed it.

Earlier, accountability court had indicted Asif Ali Zardari and his sisterFaryal Talpur in mega money laundering reference. The court had alsorejected Asif Ali Zardari’s plea seeking acquittal in mega moneylaundering, Park Lane and Thatta water supply references.

While announcing the reserved verdict, the court had directed to indict thePPP leader in all three references. The ex-president cannot be acquitted infake bank accounts case, judge Azam Khan remarked.

In December 2019, former president Asif Ali Zardari was released on medicalgrounds after an accountability court in Islamabad issued separate robkars[mandamuses] in the money laundering through fake bank accounts casesagainst him.

The charges in the latest case centre around allegations Zardari launderedvast sums of money through suspect bank accounts and companies.

NAB is conducting investigations in pursuance of the Supreme Court’sverdict in the money laundering of billions through fake accounts casewherein it forwarded the joint investigation team (JIT) report withdirections to investigate and file references.

Never popular and always shrouded in controversy, Zardari — who was oncejailed for 11 years for corruption — stepped down from the president soffice in 2013. But he has continued to serve as co-chairman of theopposition PPP.