‘Probe naming Zardari amounts to rigging’

Bloomberg

The Pakistan Peoples Party said a money-laundering probe by the government’s Federal Investigation Agency that has named its co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and
his sister as beneficiaries amounts to “pre-poll rigging” and “political victimisation,” joining other politicians raising concern about the fairness of national elections.
The former ruling party, which held the second-largest amount of national seats before parliament was dissolved last month ahead of the July 25 vote, denied that former
President Zardari and Faryal Talpur were involved in any criminal transaction. The Supreme Court in a statement dated July 8 named them in an alleged scam “running into billions of rupees.”
Zardari, his sister and executives from local lenders Sindh Bank Ltd., Summit Bank Ltd. and United Bank Ltd. were summoned to appear before the top court on Thursday to testify over alleged fake account transactions, according to the statement.
“Its timing and the media trial that has begun at this point in the campaign smacks of clear intent to damage the party leadership and influence our voters,” the PPP said.
The party said Zardari and Talpur had both been barred from leaving Pakistan.