NAB references: Court summons Zardari on 23rd

An accountability court has summoned former president Asif Ali Zardari in the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) references case on December 23.

A judge of accountability court Muhammad Bashir was hearing the case pertaining to the five references against Zardari on Monday.

The references include polo ground, SGS, Cotecna, ARY and Ursus tractors.

During the hearing, Zardari’s counsel Farooq H Naik apprised the judge that his client did not appear over security reasons. He told the court that Zardari would appear in the next hearing with appropriate security.

The court also called witnesses in three different cases and adjourned the hearing until December 23.

The references against Zardari were reopened after his presidential immunity ended and the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) was declared null and void.

It is expected that the former president will be indicted on the next hearing in the polo ground reference.

The court had earlier released several of the co-accused in the references against Zardari.

The accountability court took a suo motu action and reopened five references against Zardari in October. Earlier, the references were deferred because he enjoyed constitutional immunity during his tenure as president of Pakistan.

Speaking to reporters after the hearing, Naik claimed that Zardari had been receiving threats, therefore, he had not appeared in court.