Fake accounts case: Accountability court adjourns hearing till May 21

ISLAMABAD: An accountability court on Thursday adjourned hearing of the fake bank accounts and money laundering case against former president Asif Ali Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur till May 21, after issuing orders to provide the suspects with copies of the reference.

Accountability Court Judge Arshad Malik, while hearing the case earlier today, remarked that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had failed to provide copies of the reference filed against the suspects.

"How will [they] even run the trial when they have not even provided the copies of the reference [to the suspects]," the judge remarked.

Pakistan Peoples Party leaders Zardari and Talpur were in attendance during the hearing.

Zardari was also scheduled to appear before NAB for questioning today; however, his summons were postponed upon his request. 

The accountability watchdog had reportedly prepared another reference in the fake accounts case and had summoned the former president at its Rawalpindi office for questioning.

According to sources, Zardari had been summoned in the Harish and Company case. Harish and Company allegedly took a contract for water supply from the Special Initiative Department of Sindh but no work was done on the project. It is further alleged that these funds were used to meet the expenses of Naudero House.

NAB officials say that Harish and Company was the front company to Park Lane Estate which led to a loss of Rs60 million to the national exchequer.