SC delists Asif Zardari, Faryal Talpur's plea to transfer graft cases from hearing

ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court of Pakistan has delisted a case from former President and PPP leader Asif Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur seeking transfer of graft cases to Sindh owing to the non-availability of a judge in the bench, ARY NEWS reported on Saturday.

The apex court has fixed the hearing for the case on May 25, however, the case has to be delisted after a judge in the bench, Justice Umar Ata Bandial was not available on the date.

The case has to be heard by a three-member special bench headed by Justice Umar Ata Bandial and comprising of Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan and Justice Sajjad Ali Shah on May 25.

Both Asif Ali Zardari and Faryal Talpur have reached out to the apex court to get their cases transferred to the province from Islamabad as the latter is facing a single reference against her while the former is facing trial in five NAB references.

The Supreme Court has issued notices for the hearing to the NAB and other respondents in the case.

On November 3, Asif Ali Zardari approached the SC, requesting the court to transfer the graft cases filed against him by the NAB from Islamabad’s courts to similar courts in Karachi where he lives.

He stated in his plea that he can’t appear in accountability courts in Islamabad due to his illness as he was suffering from various ailments and had been critically ill. He said the cases were being heard in Islamabad courts despite the fact that all the accused persons, witnesses and documents are from Karachi.

During a previous hearing, Asif Zardari’s lawyer Farooq H Naek contended that it’s his client’s right to file a plea for transfer of a case under the NAB law, which couldn’t be taken away by the court through the verdict.

Justice Bandial noted that the cases were filed in Islamabad by the NAB on the basis of various accusations. He said the corruption watchdog filed the references in Islamabad on the court order.