SC to take up Zardari’s pleas on NAB cases tomorrow

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court will hear former president and Co-chairman Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Asif Ali Zardari’s petitions regarding transfer of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) references against him from accountability court-II Islamabad to an accountability court in Karachi on Tuesday (tomorrow).

A three-member bench headed by Justice Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Sajjad Ali Shah and Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi would hear the petitions.

Zardari has moved four separate petitions seeking transfer of four corruption references against him from the Islamabad accountability court to any other accountability court in Karachi.

The four references are fake bank accounts reference, Park Lane Estate Private Ltd reference, Thatta Water Supply reference and Toshakhana corruption reference.

Separately, the apex court will hear bail plea of former opposition leader in National Assembly and senior leader of PPP Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah on Monday (today). A three-member bench presided by Justice Mushir Alam and comprising Justice Sardar Tariq Masood and Justice Yahya Afridi would hear the bail pleas filed by Khursheed Shah and his son Syed Farukh Ahmed Shah.

While fixing the bail pleas for hearing, the court sent notices to the NAB prosecutor.

The NAB has alleged that it conducted inquiry against Khursheed Shah following receipt of multiple complaints that he happens to be richest man in Sindh having wealth beyond known sources of income. The bureau has filed a reference against him in the NAB court Sukkur wherein 17 other co-accused have also been nominated for allegedly accumulating assets beyond their known sources of income to the tune of Rs 1.229 billion.

Earlier, the NAB had also approached the Supreme Court against the decision to grant bail to Khursheed Shah’s son-in-law, wife and others.