Money laundering case: Court grants bail to religious TV host

District and sessions judge orders Shabir Abu Talib to submit surety bond worth Rs0.2 million

KARACHI: A district and sessions court in Karachi granted bail to a religious TV show host, Shabbir Abu Talib, in a money laundering case that was recently registered against him.

District south's top judge, Ahmed Saba, granted bail to Abu Talib, who is also associated with the Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Pakistan (JUP), ordering the accused to submit a surety bond worth Rs0.2 million, sources said.

Read: Religious TV host sent on 2-day remand over charges of money laundering

The JUP leader has been allegedly involved in laundering money through Hawala Hundi process, the source added. Further, the bail was granted to the accused after the court listened to the arguments of both sides.

During the proceedings of the case, Abu Talib’s lawyer argued that the prosecution had not provided any substantial evidence against his client, adding that the prosecution did not even mention the said charges against the accused in the FIR.

Last week, the Karachi’s City Court had sent the Abu Talib on a two-day remand after he was arrested from his residence in Karachi’s Clifton neighbourhood a day before by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) over charges of money laundering. The court handed him over to the FIA on the physical remand to investigate charges of money laundering to the amount of Rs800 million.

Read: Money laundering case Remand of television show host extended

On Saturday, the district and sessions court had extended the remand of the accused in the money laundering case. After the expiry of his remand, the FIA had reproduced Abu Talib before the court and sought his further custody on the ground that the investigation had yet to be completed.