ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The federal government has said that the Supreme Court has not exempted the Chairman Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and the Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah from the investigation to be conducted by National Accountably Bureau (NAB) into the Fake Bank Accounts Case.
Earlier in its short judgment, the Supreme Court’s three-member bench headed by the Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar ordered NAB to probe the case afresh in the light of Joint Investigation Team (JIT) report and complete the investigation within two months.
The Supreme Court also ordered to exclude the names of Bilawal Bhutto and Murad Ali Shah from the Exit Control List (ECL) and the JIT report.
Later in a Press Conference along with the Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Accountability Shehzad Akbar, the Information Minister Fawad Chaudhary said that the government will remove the names of Bilawal Bhutto and Murad Ali Shah from the ECL as per directions given by the Apex Court.
Fawad Chaudhry said that the government and all its institutions will extend all possible support to the NAB to take the matter to its logical end and bring back the plundered money to the national exchequer.
The information minister further said that the government will continue its drive against the corrupt mafia as per its manifesto to purge the Country of the menace of corruption and money laundering.
The minister said that the government is not interfering in the professional work of all the investigating agencies but has only given them a free hand to perform their obligations in an independent atmosphere.
Information Minister @fawadchaudhry addressing the news conference in Islamabad. pic.twitter.com/BJFqAzIOzO
— PTV News (@PTVNewsOfficial) January 7, 2019
Shehzad Akbar said that the Supreme Court has not rejected the JIT report in the Fake Bank Accounts Case. He said that all those who were issued notices in the case including Asif Ali Zardari, Faryal Talpur, Omni Group owners and Bahria Town’s Malik Riaz have failed to submit any substantial reply against allegations of corruption and money laundering to the Supreme Court in the light of JIT report.
The special assistant said that said the JIT report comprises of 131 pages and 1000 annexures and any accused who fails to satisfy the investigators will face references. He said that all the accused will have to prove their innocence in matters relating to Summit Bank, Sindh Bank, Steel Mills and land grabbing.
