Bilawal and Asif Zardari leave NAB office in Islamabad after hour-long interrogation

PPP Co-Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and his father Asif Ali Zardari recorded their statements at the NAB office in Islamabad on Wednesday in two cases against them. They were interrogated for an hour and a half. 

Some PPP workers managed to get through the police barricade to enter the main gate with Zardari’s car and the police tried to forcibly remove them.

Aseefa Zardari and PPP leader Nafisa Shah accompanied them. Neither were summoned by NAB and had come to show their support.

NAB has summoned the top PPP leaders in the fake accounts case and the Park Lane case. A Karachi banking court was previously hearing the fake accounts case against the former president and his close aides, including Omni Group director Anwar Majeed. However, NAB requested the court to transfer the case to Rawalpindi. On March 15, the court ruled in NAB’s favour and shifted the case to Rawalpindi.

Zardari and Bilawal jointly own the Park Lane Estate company, which is a Karachi-based real estate firm. The anti-graft watchdog had initiated an inquiry against them on charges that they illegally transferred forest land to the firm in collusion with some government officials.

Related: Watch: PPP workers and police clash ahead of Bilawal, Zardari’s NAB appearance

The same day, NAB Rawalpindi issued summons to Bilawal and Zardari to appear before its JIT on March 20.

Ahead of their appearance, PPP workers gathered near the NAB office and clashed with the police. Over 35 were arrested for trying to get close to the office gate. The police have been unable to control the crowd. They have been told by the home department to remove the workers from around the gate but not to use force. Six police officers have been injured in the clash.

Two separate teams interrogated Bilawal and Zardari. A five-member team interrogated Bilawal while an 11-member team interrogated Zardari. Wasiq Malik and Irfan Bhola of NAB’s legal team were also be present.

Officers of its intelligence wing were also summoned. However, their lawyer Farook H Naek was not allowed in with them.

They were asked questions and were also given questionnaires.

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Article source: https://www.samaa.tv/news/2019/03/bilawal-bhutto-zardari-and-asif-zardari-arrive-at-the-nab-office-in-islamabad/