NY property case: Court grants bail to Zardari on medical grounds

An accountability court in Islamabad on Saturday granted bail to PPP co-chairperson and former president Asif Ali Zardari on medical grounds in the NY property case.

Judge Muhammad Bashir presided over the hearing against the former president and issued a detailed verdict.

“Asif Zardari has been granted permanent bail in the case due to health issues whereas the New York property case against him is under investigation and NAB has yet to gather evidence against him in the case,” the written verdict stated.

It added that the anti-graft body can apply for revocation of bail on the basis of solid evidence.

“NAB received asset complaints against Asif Zardari in 2018 and 2019. It received the JIT report in April 2019. Asif Zardari was released in December 2019 after being arrested in the second case,” the court said.

Last year in November, an accountability court granted interim bail to former president Asif Ali Zardari in New York Property case till November 23.

AC-II Judge Muhammad Azam Khan heard the pre-arrest bail petition of the former president who appeared before the court in person along with his legal team.

Farook H Naek had pleaded that the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had granted interim bail to his client and now they have approached the trial court after the amendments in the NAB ordinance. “The ordinance empowers accountability courts to hear the interim bail cases,” he said.

After listening to the arguments, the court granted interim bail to Asif Zardari till November 23, and sought comments from theNAB against the plea.

The NAB had alleged that the former president owns a flat in New York City which he didn't disclose in his nomination papers submitted to the ECP. Earlier, the IHC bench had granted protective bail to Asif Zardari and instructed him to approach the trial court for more relief.