ISLAMABAD: An accountability court on Friday sent PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari to Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail on judicial remand till August 19 in the fake bank accounts case.
Zardari was presented before accountability judge Mohammad Bashir who sent the former president to jail after NAB prosecutor Muzaffar Abbasi argued that there had been a new development in the case and sought an extension in the PPP leader’s physical remand.
Requesting further custody of Zardari, Abbasi said that a suspect had given a statement which they wanted to confront Zardari about.
An official notification issued by the court stated that Zardari’s judicial remand had been approved and he was to be kept in jail until his next court appearance on August 19. Prior to this, the PPP co-chairperson was in NAB custody. On July 29, the court had granted a 10-day remand of the former president.
During the proceedings today, Zardari’s counsel Latif Khosa said that the former president had earlier requested that NAB be granted his 90-day physical remand once, instead of multiple shorter remands. The counsel argued that while a 90-day remand could not be granted, the court could approve a 14-day remand.
“After four days they [NAB] come again and ask for remand,” he said, adding that the repeated court appearances cause a loss to the national exchequer.
Appearing on the rostrum, Zardari said that he was not allowed to offer prayers even on Eidul Azha. He said that his daughter was not allowed to meet him during the holiday, despite having court permission to do so.
