ISLAMABAD -- A court in Pakistan has handed over former President Asif Ali Zardari to the country’s anti-corruption agency for questioning in a money laundering case.
An Islamabad accountability court issued the order on June 11, a day after Zardari was arrested following the rejection of his bail applications.
Zardari, co-chairman of the opposition Pakistan Peoples' Party (PPP), is to be held for 10 days pending investigation by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on corruption charges.
The court hearing was held amid tight security, as PPP supporters held small rallies across Pakistan to condemn the arrest.
Zardari is set to appear in court again on June 21, when the NAB is expected to press or drop charges.
His sister Faryal Talpur’s bail plea was also rejected on June 10, but she wasn't arrested.
Both Zardari, who is a member of parliament, and Talpur are accused of transferring large amounts of money to their private company through bogus bank accounts.
Zardari and Talpur reject the charges.
The PPP says the accusations against Zardari are politically motivated.
In a separate corruption case, the NAB arrested politician Hamza Shahbaz on June 11 after the Lahore High Court rejected his bail.
Shahbaz is the son of the opposition leader Shahbaz Sharif and a nephew of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who is serving a jail term over graft charges.
The NAB has arrested a number of politicians on corruption charges since Prime Minister Imran Khan took office last year.
