*ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari andhis sister Faryal Talpur didn’t appear before a joint investigation teamprobing money-laundering charges against them.*

Ms Talpur through her lawyer Farooq H Naek filed an application before theFederal Investigation Agency (FIA) requesting it to form a new probe team.

The counsel stated that his client wanted to fully cooperate with FIA for aprobe into the money-laundering scam but she couldn’t appear before ittoday as she is currently in Larkana.

He explained the PPP leader is busy submitting the details of her assets tothe returning officer in Larkana.

Zardari and his sister were asked to appear before the JIT probing themoney laundering allegations against them in Islamabad but they skipped thehearing.

Sources said the FIA team is said to have tracked down money trail of Rs23billion out of the total Rs35 billion involved in the case.

Earlier, the FIA State Bank Circle submitted a charge-sheet of the caseagainst Hussain Lawai and other accused in the relevant court.

Zardari and his sister were among over a dozen suspects declared abscondersin the money-laundering scam.

According to the FIR registered by FIA, transactions of billions of rupeeswere made into suspicious accounts, including the one owned by the PPPleaders, the Zardari Group, which is accused of receiving Rs 15 million ofthe laundered money.