–IHC grants interim bail to Zardari
ISLAMABAD: Former president Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday criticised the government for appointing a former International Monetary Fund (IMF) official Dr Reza Baqir at the helm of the central bank, saying it was ‘the biggest mistake’ in the country’s economic history.
He was speaking to media persons after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) approved his bail till May 15 in a corruption case pertaining to fake accounts.
The bench stopped the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) from arresting Asif Ali Zardari till the next hearing and also sought a reply from the accountability watchdog.
A divisional bench, comprising Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Mohsin Akhter Kiyani, conducted hearing on a petition seeking Zardari’s pre-arrest bail in another NAB inquiry.
Zardari’s counsel Farooq H Naik pleaded before the bench that his client was fully cooperating with NAB concerning inquiries and investigation pending against him. He, however, stated that there was a threat to former president for being arrested by NAB in another case.
After hearing arguments, the bench accepted the bail plea against surety bonds worth Rs 0.5 million and served notices to NAB headquarters.
Zardari had moved the IHC for interim bail on Wednesday to avoid possible arrest in Harish and Company case after the bureau asked him to appear before it on Thursday.
It had alleged that Harish and Company was awarded a contract for water supply from the provincial Special Initiative Department but it did not do required work on the project.
The bureau had further alleged that the funds reserved for the project were used to meet the expenses of Naudero House, filing a reference against Special Initiative Department former secretary Ejaz Ahmed Khan and other suspects.
It had noted that Harish and Company was used as a front company by Park Lane Estate which led to a loss of Rs60 million to the national exchequer.
It may be mentioned that the former president had already been granted interim bails in other NAB references related to the money laundering and fake accounts case.
