Park Lane case: Asif Zardari remanded to NAB for 13 days

ISLAMABAD: An accountability court has granted the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) a 13-day physical remand of former president and Asif Ali Zardari in the Park Lane reference.

The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairman, who was already in NAB’s custody in the fake accounts case, had also been detained in the Park Lane property investigation a day earlier.The NAB officials produced him before Accountability Court Judge Arshad Malik and sought 14 days physical remand in the case. However, the judge granted 13 days and ordered NAB to produce him again on July 15.

During the hearing, the judge asked NAB make it clear that “in how many cases Zardari would be arrested” All cases were connected with each other and NAB had been asked earlier to take remand of the accused at once, the judge further said.

The NAB prosecutor Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi told the judge about the progress in the Park Lane investigation and requested there was need of his physical remand to investigate further. NAB prosecutor said the NAB chairman had issued arrest warrants against Zardari in only two cases.

He said that investigation got delayed due to National Assembly session. Zardari’s Counsel Farooq Naek said that if the charges against his client were same in three cases then NAB should have taken his remand at once to complete investigation process.

NAB Investigation Officer Muhammad Ali Abro contended that the ways of crime in three cases were different and they could not be investigated together. Park Lane reference would be filed soon before the court.

Zardari arrived at rostrum and stated he had no objection over his long physical remand. Zardari was accused of purchasing 2,460 kanals of land in Islamabad near Sangjani at a throw away price.It may be mentioned here that former president had already withdrew his pre-arrest bail petitions in three cases pertaining to Park Lane Company, bulletproof cars and Toshakhana.