An accountability court on Saturday permanently exempted the former President Asif Ali Zardari from court appearances in proceedings of NAB references against him, a private news channel reported.
Zardari’s counsel Amjad Qureshi filed the petition stating that his client could not appear in the court due to security concerns and may therefore be granted a permanent exemption. The court accepted his plea.
Zardari’s lawyer Farooq H Naek requested the court to acquit his client in the corruption references against him.
Naek argued that Zardari could not be indicted in the cases as there was no evidence against him.
The court adjourned the hearing till Feb 3.
Speaking to the media after the hearing, Naek stated that the polo reference against his client was an allegation that cannot be proved.
The NAB references against Zardari include Polo Ground case, SGS, Ursus tractors deal, Cotecna and ARY Gold cases.
References against Mr Zardari were made by Ehtesab Bureau — the previous version of National Accountability Bureau — which pursued these cases in 1997 when Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif headed the government.
His cases were reopened in October when NAB pleaded that his immunity had ended after he had stepped down as President.