Sir: The disclosures made by businessman Sadruddin Hashwani in his biography that detail what, according to him, were threats by former President Asif Ali Zardari and instances of coercion and financial irregularities (to say the least) have created a furore among the business community and civil society. Asif Zardari once earned the moniker ‘Mr 10 percent’ for his alleged business practices but very few people have been as forthcoming as Hashwani about these allegations. Asif Zardari responded by slapping a multi-billion rupee defamation suit against Hashwani and descrying the charges as baseless. At the same time, reports have emerged that in Karachi, where the PPP is in control of the Sindh government, the book has been banned at almost all major retail outlets and only bootlegged copies are available. If the former president, as he claims, has nothing to hide and his practices are legitimate, then he should not be worried about the so-called “baseless” allegations in the book. Previous criminal investigations have failed to find evidence of corruption by Asif Zardari. Either way, the book being banned will only further enforce the perception that the allegations have weight. Only an impartial investigation into whether they are true or not will put the matter to rest and, in this, the former president should be forthcoming and open about his wealth. ALI KHAN Karachi