KARACHI: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leaders on Friday slammed the government amid speculations of the arrest of former president and party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur in the mega money laundering scam, urging it to stop the PPP’s “media trial”.
Following the Zardari and Talpur bail hearing, senior PPP leader Syed Khursheed Shah claimed that the joint investigation team (JIT) formed to probe into the money laundering case has no evidence against the party leadership, alleging that false information is being spread.
“ This is nothing new for PPP and neither you nor we have seen the JIT report,” he said.
The senior leader further termed the media trials as “unfortunate” and critcised the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) for “becoming a silent spectator”. “Media trials now precede the judicial trials and no action is taken against such practice,” he said.
“JIT report is leaked every now and then,” the PPP MNA added.
“We have experienced individuals and dictators and seen all judges from the time of Justice Munir to Justice Saqib Nisar. We have seen good and bad court decisions and even seen Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry who allowed a dictator to make an amendment in the Constitution,” Shah contained.
PPP leader Rehman Malik also urged that those responsible for spreading the rumours of Zardari’s arrest should come forward and apologise.
“Fake cases against PPP leaders is nothing new,” former interior minister maintained while stressing that anti-Zardari media trial should be stopped.
Malik further added that “till the investigation against Zardari and Talpur is not complete the allegations levelled against them are just allegations and the case should not be discussed until it is in court”.
Another PPP stalwart Nisar Khuhro also spoke to the media outside the court and said, “We respect courts and come here with the hope that justice is served.”
“Zardari and Talpur are on bail and negative propaganda should not be spread, case hearings are a routine matter,” Khuhro further added.
Earlier in the day, a banking court in Karachi extended the interim pre-arrest bail of Asif Zardari and Faryal Talpur till January 7 in a mega-money laundering case.
Zardari and his sister appeared before the court as the interim bail granted to them ended. A large number of party workers and senior party leaders, including Khursheed Shah and Rehman Malik, had gathered outside the court premises amid the speculations of Zardari’s possible arrest.
