Zardari secures interim bail in fake accounts case

Bail granted after submission of Rs2 million surety bond, court summons Zardari on Sep 4

KARACHI: Former president Asif Ali Zardari was granted interim bail by a banking court in the fake accounts case against a surety bond of Rs2 million, Express News reported on Friday.

The case pertains to alleged money laundering of at least Rs35 billion through fake accounts. The Pakistan Peoples Party co-chairman had obtained protective bail from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) and had been instructed to appear before the trial court by September 3.

During today's hearing, the court summoned Zardari on September 4. The former president, while exiting the court premises, claimed all cases against politicians are politically motivated and expressed confidence in the party's presidential nominee. "Aitzaz Ahsan will be the next president of Pakistan."

Zardari also said that he may come in a helicopter for his next court appearance, in an apparent reference to the helicopter controversy surrounding Prime Minister Imran Khan's helicopter trips.



Responding to another question, the PPP co-chairman said he will come to court daily if summoned.

Earlier this week, during a Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) interrogation that lasted around 25 minutes, a visibly agitated Zardari smoked one cigarette after another as his sister tried to calm him down, narrated one FIA team member who was present during the meeting.

According to the FIA official, who asked not to be named, Zardari was visibly distressed throughout the interrogation. Talpur, on the other hand, looked more composed and on several occasions, signaled to her brother to stop talking to the investigators.

Throughout the interrogation, the duo kept insisting that the FIA hand over a questionnaire which they would respond to in due time.