ISLAMABAD, (DNA) – Former president Asif Ali Zardari on Sunday denied all the claims made about the Zardari Group in a joint investigation team (JIT) report submitted to the Supreme Court in an ongoing case pertaining to alleged money laundering of billions of rupees through fake bank accounts.

The apex court last year took suo motu notice of a delay into a 2015 Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) probe into the fake bank accounts. Several bigwigs, including Zardari, his sister Faryal Talpur, former president of Summit Bank Hussain Lawai and Omni Group’s Anwar Majeed, have been nominated in the case. Property tycoon Malik Riaz, his son-in-law Zain, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari have also been included in the probe.

The fresh JIT probing the matter told the SC earlier that a close nexus had been found between a troika of the Zardari Group, Omni Group and Bahria Town. The JIT report revealed that at least 29 bank accounts identified as fake had been used for money laundering of Rs42 billion.

The two groups, the JIT alleged in its fresh report, had amassed assets through misappropriation of loans, government funds, kickbacks and proceeds of crime.

The top court subsequently ordered the Zardari Group, Omni Group, Bahria Town, Faryal Talpur and others, including contractors/builders, to file their comments on the JIT report.

In a 17-page-long written reply submitted in the SC today, former president Zardari said that he had not done anything wrong.

“The statements recorded by witnesses and the documents [accompanying them] were not provided to us,” the reply stated.

“The JIT is being used as a means for political victimisation,” it said, adding that to accuse someone without showing them the evidence is against Article 10A of the Constitution (Right to a fair trial).

In his reply, the PPP co-chairman requested the court to dismiss the JIT’s reports, contending that the leaking of the second JIT report prior to its submission in court is against the sanctity of the court.

The reply also argued that the JIT is being used as an instrument by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government to humiliate Zardari and Talpur.

According to the reply, the JIT does not have the right to suggest that the matter should be sent to the National Accountability Bureau, and if the court orders the move upon the JIT’s suggestion, it will also be against Article 10A.