No mala fide intention found in Zardari’s arrest: IHC

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman is authorised to issue arrest warrants for any accused even after the submission of reference in the trial court, Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) written order states.

An IHC division bench comprising Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Mohsin Akhter Kiyani on Tuesday issued awritten order regarding rejection of bail of former president Asif Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur in fake accounts case.

The IHC’s order states that petitioners Asif Ali Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur failed to prove any dishonesty of NAB in the fake bank account reference. The detailed judgment said there is no mala fide intention of NAB chairman in the arrest of former president Asif Ali Zardari. NAB has arrested Asif Ali Zardari for further investigation and the court has found no ill intent of NAB in his arrest.

The court order further states that in the light of Supreme Court orders in NAB cases, accused could be granted bail in extraordinary situations only. The IHC in its detailed order also gave reference of the Supreme Court order regarding the bail of plea former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and said the top had set the standard of bails in NAB references. The SC decision is applicable to bail before arrest case as well. According to SC decision, interim bail can be granted if the decision is based on mala fide intent.

The IHC order states that investigating a white collar crime is not an easy task and NAB has started the investigation on fake bank accounts on the directive of Supreme Court of Pakistan. The court order further said there should be extraordinary circumstances for granting interim bail and Asif Ali Zardari’s petition does not come up to criterion of bail before arrest.

It may be mentioned here that NAB had arrested Asif Ali Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur in the fake bank account reference after the rejection of their bail pleas by the Islamabad High Court.