Accountability: Zia sent on judicial remand

Court rejects NAB’s request for extension in physical remand

LAHORE: An accountability court on Monday rejected National Accountability Bureau’s request for an extension of physical remand for former Pakistan Peoples Party Punjab president Qasim Zia and sent him on a 14-day judicial remand.

The court asked the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to complete its investigation in the case till the next hearing.

NAB official produced Zia in Judge Khaqan Babar’s court after six days of physical remand. The investigation officer requested the court to extend the physical remand so they could complete the investigation.

Representing Zia, Advocate Azhar Siddique and Barrister Ali Zafar said the NAB had been unable to produce sufficient evidence against Zia. They said the NAB did not have a case against him and requested the court to release him.

Several leaders of the PPP including Syed Khursheed Shah, Naveed Chaudhry, Shaukat Basra, Tanveer Ashraf Kaira and Babar Butt were present during the hearing. They later held a demonstration in front of the court and shouted slogans against the government.

Shah said that the NAB was victimising Zia by digging up an eight-year-old case. He said it was an entirely political matter taken to the court in order to pressure Zia to leave the PPP.

Shah said the PPP would not accept such a blatant attack on it leaders. “We are in solidarity with Zia,” he said.

Answering a question, Shah said that Zia had been under a lot of pressure to switch loyalties. “Zia is an ideologically aligned PPP worker,” Shah said. “He has, time and again, reposed full confidence in the party leadership.”

Shah said the PPP’s opponents had started a “witch hunt” against Zia without reason. “Those who were planning to quit the PPP have already done so…their leaving doesn’t affect the party.”

Published in The Express Tribune, August 25^th, 2015.