Rs 8b suspicious transaction: IHC extends Zardari’s pre-arrest bail till Nov 5

ISLAMABAD: In a case pertaining to a suspicious transaction of Rs 8 billion, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday extended the interim pre-arrest bail of former president Asif Ali Zardari till November 5.

A division bench of the Islamabad High Court comprising Justice Aamir Farooq and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani heard Zardari’s plea seeking confirmation of his pre-arrest bail in the case. During the hearing, the court directed NAB Prosecutor Sardar Muzaffar to provide a copy of arrest warrants issued by the anti-corruption watchdog against the PPP co-chairman to his lawyer Farooq H Naek. The NAB prosecutor said the case was at an inquiry stage, due to which the warrants could not be issued against Zardari earlier. However, he said the bureau has now collected sufficient incriminating material against the accused. Zardari’s lawyer said his client has already been granted bail by this court in this case. When asked about the former president’s condition, he replied his client has been undergoing treatment in a Karachi hospital. However, he doesn’t have any latest update on his health. It is to mention here that the court had granted pre-arrest interim bail to the former president in this case on June 18, 2019.