Former president Asif Ali Zardari. PHOTO: AFP
Zardari's lawyer Farooq H Naek said that Zardari could not appear before the court because of security reasons.
This is the third time the former president has failed to attend the hearing.
In October, Sindh High Court (SHC) had permitted Zardari to use bullet-proof vehicles with tinted glasses and to keep his private security at his “own expense” owing to the threats to his life from militants. His lawyers Naek and Shazia Hanjrah had said that the top political leadership of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) was receiving threats to their lives from extremists, particularly since the assassination of Benazir Bhutto.
The court had earlier decided to indict Zardari on December 9 in four graft references out of five pending against him.
References reopened
Just as the chief graft buster Qamar Zaman Chaudhry had assumed charge on October 11, an accountability court in Islamabad had reopened five references against Zardari and summoned him before the court.
The court notice had stated that Zardari’s immunity to trial ended with him stepping down from the presidency.
Cases
• Polo ground case - One pending reference surrounds the illegal construction of the polo ground and other ancillary works at the Prime Minister House, which are in violation of rules and procedure. In this case, the court had acquitted Saeed Mehdi, while the case against Shafi Sehwani, the former chairman of Capital Development Authority, was withdrawn following his death.
• SGS - In July 2011, pronouncing its verdict in the 13-year-old graft case commonly known as the SGS reference, an accountability court absolved all the accused, except Zardari.
In the SGS reference filed in 1997, it was alleged that then prime minister Benazir Bhutto and her spouse had received kickbacks in a pre-shipment contract between the government and SGS.
• ARY case - Grant of licences to ARY Traders for import of gold and silver caused losses to the public exchequer, amounting to approximately Rs18.2 million.
• Ursus tractors deal - Another reference, which pertains to Ursus tractors deal, deals with alleged misappropriation in the purchase of 5,900 Russian and Polish tractors at a cost of Rs150,000 each, for the then Awami Tractor Scheme.
The court had earlier had acquitted the co-accused Nawab Yousuf Talpur and AH Kango in the case. The Ursus tractors purchase deal allegedly caused a loss of Rs268.3 million to the ADBP and Rs1.67 billion to the State Bank.
• Cotecna - This case involved an allegedly corrupt award for a contract for supervising pre-shipment at the Karachi port.
The contract was awarded to the Swiss company Cotecna in exchange for a bribe during former prime minister Benazir Bhutto’s second term. Benazir Bhutto and her husband were accused of taking a 6% bribe on the revenue stream the Swiss company expected on the $131 million contract.
COMMENTS (7)
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Pakistani courts are dragging these cases for decades without making any decision. When most of the alleged people in these cases are not found guilty why keep dragging the names of dead and elected leaders? It is on the part of judiciary that they kept these cases for so long without providing any justice. These cases are only brought out when PPP is in power or near elections they our independent judiciary always goes back to sleep till next elections. In any other country such cases would have been decided long ago (I don’t care which way) but for our “independent” judiciary. All these PCO judges were in HC and SC but did not bother to complete even a single case against PPP leadership despite keeping them in jail for almost two decades. How many other political leaders whose corruption is proved in Asghar Khan Case have been jailed even for a single day? Taking bribes from ISI, stealing elections from BB and PPP is not a crime and never to be punished despite more than two decades. Thousands of NRO cases including murders, treason, and terrorism have been swept under the rug by these courts except a few cases against the elected leaders of Sindh!
ASif Zardari and Co. are master of procrastination. A court like Swiss Court can deliver swift justice. Only in Pakistan can a Person of Asif Zardari 's Background become president.
We shall see justice in Pakistan only after Zardari and Nawaz Sharif get fair Trials. I am not follower of Dr. Qadri or Imran Khan. They are right in one Point: As Long as Nawaz Sharif and Zardari are there, NAB, Police, Election Commision can not be fair and impartial. God help the Country! Any suggestion for remedy in Pakistan?
How much received NAB till today? In the comparison Apex has played a better role than that
This is the third time the former president has failed to attend the hearing. Is there clasification in the law and the court behave? If any poor person was failed to be attended the court hearing there would have been a chances of arrest but.........................................................................................................................
prime minister Benazir Bhutto’s second term. Benazir Bhutto and her husband were accused of taking a 6% bribe on the revenue stream the Swiss company expected on the $131 million contract. According to the law of the land,giver and receiver of bribe both are accountable to law and liable to punishe. Why they offer of huge bribe having known that they would never resused to take.
What you talking about,from head to bottom has smeared with corruption. from peon to president are involved in illegal gain,despite of all Pakistan is alive because it has been secured in the name of Islam so Allah the Almighty has special bless for it.
waste of public money