Islamabad – Staff Reporter:
An Islamabad accountability court has summoned former president Asif Ali Zardari and his alleged frontman Mushtaq Ahmed in a case related to a suspicious transaction of Rs8.3 billion from Bahria Town’s account.
According to the report, the court directed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to distribute copies of the reference regarding the suspicious transaction before formally indicting the accused on June 29.
Zain Malik, son-in-law of Malik Riaz, another accused in the case and owner of Bahria Town, has already bargained with the NAB and deposited about Rs 9 billion in the national exchequer.
According to the NAB reference, Asif Zardari built his palace in Clifton with the money obtained illegally and he could not prove the claim that he bought the house with legitimate income.
The reference said that Mushtaq Ahmed allegedly provided Rs 150 million for the construction of the house.
From 2009 to 2013, an illegal transaction of Rs8.3 billion was made from the bank account of Mushtaq Ahmed, who worked as a government employee in the Presidential House, and this amount was paid to Bahria Town.
On the other hand, three petitioners approached the Islamabad High Court against the rejection of the petitions by the accountability court for raising objections to the auction of properties of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in the Tosha Khana reference.
Accountability court judge Syed Asghar Ali had almost two months ago directed the revenue authorities of Punjab to confiscate the properties of fugitive Nawaz Sharif in reference and auction them within 60 days.
The court, while accepting NAB’s request for auction of Nawaz Sharif’s property, had said in its order that wherever Nawaz Sharif’s property is, the concerned provincial government will be able to auction it.
Last week, the accountability court rejected three petitions filed against the former prime minister’s property confiscation and auction.
Earlier, the accountability court issued a 17-page charge sheet of Park Lane Company reference.
The charge sheet stated that Asif Zardari, through Younis Qadwai and Iqbal Memon, set up a fake company. Asif Zardari speculated loan from National Bank through fraud.
The charge sheet said Asif Ali Zardari transferred money from a fake company to his company’s account.
