IHC confirms interim bail of Zardari in graft case

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday confirmed interim bail of former president Asif Ali Zardari in an Rs8 billion suspicious transaction case.

An IHC bench comprising Justice Aamir Farooq and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani announced a verdict after hearing arguments of the PPP co-chairman’s lawyer Farooq H Naek and NAB prosecutor Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi.

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Mr Naek contended before the court that his client is unable to appear in court due to his ailing health. Mr Zardari had to be hospitalised on Jan 10 after his health worsened, he added.

At this, Justice Farooq asked the NAB prosecutor about the status of the case, to which the latter replied that the reference is yet to be filed against the former president.

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The prosecutor said Zardari had not yet given his reply to a call-up notice given to him in 2019. He pleaded with the court to dismiss the accused’s bail petition. The high court had on June 18, 2019 granted pre-arrest interim bail to Zardari in the case.