Former president Asif Ali Zardari. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
RAWALPINDI: An accountability court in Rawalpindi has ordered former president Asif Ali Zardari to appear before the court on October 14 after it reopened five references against him, Express News reported on Friday.
The court notice stated that Zardari’s immunity to trial ended with him stepping down from the presidency.
Along with the former president, the court has also summoned the National Accountability Bureau’s prosecutor general.
According to Express News, no request was made for reopening these references and the court has done so on its own.
Earlier on October 8, Swiss authorities, who were contacted by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government to reopen the pending graft cases against Zardari, said that the time limit to do so has passed.
COMMENTS (22)
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What cases? Proven guilty in none and yet being in prison for about 10 years, Oh yeah thats what you call justice. Moreover all main accused in these cases have already been released on basis of no evidence.
@Tariq: by the way what is abusive in it ?/?
@Malik: We, Pakistanis living in Europe, have suffered a lot here as our European friends kept on saying to us for the last five years: It can only happen in Pakistan that a criminal can be elected as President.
A man is known by the company he keeps. You better get some literate friends. Being in Europe doesn't make you a genius. West has the notion of "innocent till proven guilty". You better remind your taxi cab friends about this principle of justice. Oh by the way, Did your friends comment anything on the terrorism?
Borrow Swiss court and you will see the result.
Zardari is an evil genius of procrastination and evading and avoiding the judiciary. The judiciary in Pakistan should learn the way the Swiss court has handeld his case. NO Farook Naik and Aitzaz Ahsan would be able to help Zardari fool the judiciary. We in Europe would turn to the Onternational Court of Justice if justice is not delivered in Pakistan.
We, Pakistanis living in Europe, have suffered a lot here as our European friends kept on saying to us for the last five years: It can only happen in Pakistan that a criminal can be elected as President.
Zardari is a crucial test for the judiciary in Pakistan
Anyway no body is invincible in this world.
@Arshad Khan:
I do not mean to be rude but what is the point you are making! The man has serve as a President and for the court to come out of darkness(negligence of duty) and open up some irregularites is a farce. Surely Mr Zardari is not accused of a murder? What is the big deal in following colonial laws?
Rex Minor
@Imran: And why not the NAB courts ask Mian Brothers what agreement was executed between them and Musharraf to escape death penalties?For how many years was the agreement? How many attaches and large bags of wealth and cash accompanied them? And last but not least why was not the agreement acted upon? ET, please let my comments go through.Thanks.
@Arshad Khan:
What about our PM and CJ? We are fade up of this Zardari bashing, it seems he is the only punching beg for tunnel vision analysts like you and your Dad Kamran Khan. And one thing I want every innocent reader here be mindful off is that A SOUND ANGREZI( ENGLISH) DOES NOT MEAN A SOUND INTELLECT AT ALL
Welcome to World Wrestling Federation where moves are choreographed and losers are audience.
There is no court in Pakistan to try and sentence the crimes of the Sharif (aka Pakistani Charles Sobhraj) brothers. From privatization of MCB, ISI case, kickbacks in yellow CAB scheme, commissions in motorway project, billions of loan write offs, Hudabia paper mill scam, money laundering, plane hijacking, victimization of opponents, persecution of minorities, extra judicial killings, destroying national assets, conspiring to overthrow elected governments.
And the persecution begins... Once again a court in Rawalpindi, in the heart of Punjab, opens up cases on its own against a politician from the south, even without prosecutors proceeding with the case. Punjab's courts have become littered judges of extremist views both politically and religiously, and want to take it way too far. They never took up cases against terrorists, despite the murder of 50 thousand Pakistanis. The bloodbath never woke up their conscience.
@Arshad Khan: Good job Mr. Moderator for honestly doing your job, and allowing slander, despite clear moderation guidelines:
Abusive, off-topic Misleading argument in obvious, agenda-driven purpose Ad hominem attacks Posted with explicit intent to provoke other commenters, writers or staffEspecially the comments like "former President and his partners in crime" and "his sycophants, cohorts, court jesters and his ill gotten wealth" should not have found a place on ET.
He will not go away He will face all false cases The courts need to open real case of coruption by mr Chirf justices family ZARDARI IS A FIGHTER HE DOENT RUNAWAY LIKE SOME SHERS DO@arshad khan
Why are we wasting time getting poor Zardari who is a wonderful "democratic" leader, he even goes on about bhutto.....
Lets go get and bash Musharraf!!!!
@Parvez: No one needs to make us fool. Ee have got the natural talent for it.
I miss Zardari!!!
So this is how it is gonna go for 5 years now
If Pakistan has the courage, foresight, and respectability, it has to go through the agony of hearing the misdeeds of it's former President and his partners in crime, that has brought the country to it's knees. It will have to bear the indignity to hear the crimes of it's highest office holder. But this cleansing and sanitation is what will prove to be the saving grace for the country. For far too long in its short history, Pakistan's people have been subjected to the worst mental torture, of having to live among the nations of the world, and be subjected to constant denigration, acts of humiliation, because of the venality of its political leaders, bureaucrats, landlords and others who proclaimed themselves to be the saviors of the country. For far too long, the good for nothing have ruled this country, which has the potential, has done in the past, and the present, to bring forth great individuals of rare qualities. One day Zardari must go away to a far far place of no return along with his sycophants, cohorts, court jesters and his ill gotten wealth. That would be Pakistan's redemption and a new beginning. We do see the first rays.
It apparently has been established that in Pakistan you CAN fool all the people all the time.
What about accountability of the highest echelons of ruling party?