Hearing Park Lane reference against Asif Ali Zardari on Friday, the accountability court decided to indict the former president via video link on July 6, as he didn’t appear for the hearing.
The PPP supremo was summoned by the court to appear for his indictment. However, Zardari’s lawyer Farooq H Naek told the court that it is difficult for his client to travel because of coronavirus outbreak. He reminded the court that former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani appeared before a court recently and contracted Covid-19. To which, Judge Azam Khan of the accountability responded, “You are also attending the session. Do you not value your life? If you are presenting yourself, then you can also call Asif Ali Zardari.”
After arguments, the court decided that the PPP leader will be indicted via video link. The judge instructed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to make arrangements for filing charges against Zardari.
During the last hearing, Farooq H Naik had submitted exemption pleas on behalf of the former president and his sister Faryal Talpur from appearing before the court due to the prevalent coronavirus situation in the country.
Meanwhile, NAB on Friday again summoned Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah in Sindh Roshan Program case on July 6. Shah has been summoned in the matter of awarding contract for solar lights.
According to NAB, rules and regulations were violated in awarding contract for the solar lights. The NAB on Friday served a fresh summon on Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Asif after he failed to turn up in the Sialkot housing society case. The anti-graft watchdog directed him to appear on July 3 along with relevant documents.
A lawyer appeared before the bureau on behalf of the PML-N leader stating that his client can’t appear because he will be attending a post-budget session in the National Assembly. He submitted the relevant documents to the NAB.
The former minister has been accused of illegally building a private housing scheme, Kent View Housing Society, in Sialkot. He is required to provide the money trail of the funds invested in the scheme.
