ISLAMABAD – Khawaja Anwar Majeed, owner of the Omni group, Wednesday filed a review petition in the Supreme Court challenging its January 7 decision the mega money laundering case ordering the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to file a reference against him in Islamabad or Rawalpindi courts.
The petitioner through his counsel Shahid Hamid adopted the stance that “all the allegations are connected with Karachi, moreover, all witnesses live there as well, however ordering the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to file the reference in Islamabad is illegal and should be reviewed.”
Similarly, the filing of a reference by NAB Rawalpindi was “unlawful” as the “entire alleged record” of the case was in Karachi.
“Majeed faces health issues and has also presented a medical report in this regard and due to ill health, it is very difficult for our client to travel Islamabad from Karachi,” the counsel pleaded in the petition.
The counsel also requested the court to restrain Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) from providing details of the investigation to the media.
He submitted that the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) had conducted investigation into the matter and there was no need of further probe. It did not come under the domain of NAB but the FIA, which should be directed to submit its final challan on the basis of the JIT report submitted earlier, he added.
Meanwhile, Faryal Talpur, sister of former president Asif Ali Zardari, also filed a separate review petition challenging the said apex court’s January 7 orders.
Former president and his sister on January 28 had filed a joint review petition in the Supreme Court through their lawyer Latif Khosa. However, Faryal Talpur on Wednesday submitted a separate plea through her counsel Farooq H Naek.
https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/pakistan/ihc-to-hear-petitions-against-zardari-tomorrow/
The Supreme Court, in its January 7 verdict, had referred the JIT report and evidence collected to NAB for further investigation, directing the anti-corruption watchdog to wrap up its investigation within two months.
The top court also directed the authorities to remove names of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah from the Exit Control List (ECL) for the time being. However, it added, NAB would not be prevented from probing their case further.
The judgment stated that all cases, which had not been concluded or in the opinion of the JIT required further probe would remain within the jurisdiction of the JIT which would continue its investigation and complete it within reasonable time where after its report together with all material and evidence would be transmitted to NAB without the need for any further order from this court for action in accordance with law.
The court also ordered that the names of Anwar Mansoor Khan’s brother and Farooq H Naek and his family be removed from the JIT report and from ECL as well but directed NAB to continue investigations against them.
Besides Asif Zardari, Faryal Talpur and Anwar Majeed, many others, including former president of Summit Bank Hussain Lawai, were also nominated in the case. Property tycoon Malik Riaz and his son-in-law Zain were also included in the probe.
Over 27 ‘benami’ accounts at some private banks were opened in 2013, 2014 and 2015 from where transactions worth billions of rupees were allegedly made. The amount, according to FIA, was said to be black money gathered from various kickbacks, commissions and bribes.
