Pakistan’s Zardari To Appear In Court In Corruption Case: Lawyer

Islamabad, Nov 27, IRNA – An anti-graft court in Pakistan on Tuesday summoned former President Asif Ali Zardari to appear in a corruption case and defence lawyer assured the court that his client will appear on the next hearing. The National Accountability Court last month ordered reopening of corruption cases against the former President just few weeks after he stepped down on completion of his five-year term. The court on Tuesday heard a case against Zardari in Islamabad and summoned witnesses on December 9 in a case relating to the illegal construction of a Polo Ground in the Prime Ministers House from government money during the government of his spouse Benazir Bhutto. Zardari’s lawyer, Farooq H Naik assured the court that his client will appear on next hearing. None of the case had been heard for five years due to Zardari s immunity as the president. The former President, the co-chairman of the main opposition Pakistan Peoples Party, now eyes the biggest political role. The Accountability Court has already issued notices to the Prosecutor General of National Accountability Bureau in five references against Asif Zardari, officials said. The court notices had stated that Zardari's immunity to trial ended with his stepping down from the presidency. The government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had not approached the court for reopening of the cases as analysts say it does not want political polarization. However, the NAB judge Bashir Ahmed had reopened the five references cases. Former President Pervez Musharraf had withdrawn all cases against Zardari under a controversial amnesty deal in 2007. The Supreme Court had later canceled the National Reconciliation Ordinance and reopened all corruption cases against Zardari and nearly 8,000 other people including political leaders and former government officials. In October, Swiss authorities, who were contacted by the present government to reopen the pending graft cases against Zardari, rejected the plea on the ground that the time limits have passed. The then Pakistan Peoples Party-led government had initially refused to send a letter to Swiss authorities for reopening the cases. It had argued that since Zardari was the president, he enjoyed immunity./end