ISLAMABAD - An accountability court in Islamabad on Saturday sent PPP senior leader Faryal Talpur, sister of former president Asif Ali Zardari, to nine-day physical remand under the custody of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Rawalpindi for further investigation into the mega money laundering through fake bank accounts case.

The court has directed the accountability watchdog to produce her again on June 24.

NAB prosecutor Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi told the court that the accused was arrested on Friday and her residence has been declared a sub-jail. “Her arrest warrants were issued on June 13,” he said, adding she was a primary accused in the fake accounts reference case.

The court was told that suspicious transactions of billions of rupees had been made in the bank accounts of the Zardari Group from the fake bank accounts, and the accounts had been operated by Talpur.

Moreover, she had signed for a transaction(s) in the account with the name of Owais Muzaffar, the court was told. After appearing in the court, Talpur, while responding to a question by a reporter, said: “I leave my case to Almighty Allah.”

In reply to another question over whether she believed her arrest was made on political or accountability purpose, she asked: “Couldn’t you comprehend my arrest was made on political purpose? Everyone knows that these arrests are political.”

On Friday, the accountability watchdog arrested her, and declared her house a sub-jail, a couple of days after her brother Asif Zardari was nabbed upon dismissal of their permanent bail application by Islamabad High Court (IHC).

On Monday, IHC rejected the two leaders’ bail plea in connection to a high-profile case of money laundering allegedly through fake banks accounts. In its orders, the IHC allowed the NAB to arrest Zardari and Talpur, both of whom are now expected to file an appeal in the Supreme Court.

The investigation team has not shifted Talpur to their headquarters but will keep her under custody at her Islamabad residence for investigation, which has been declared a sub-jail for this purpose.

Later, a team of doctors was called to examine Talpur’s health and fitness, and her medical reports were presented before the accountability court by the bureau, stating that she was fit to stay under physical remand.

According to details, she would be kept under house arrest till further orders, and the bureau has deployed female personnel at her residence.