ISLAMABAD: Former president Asif Ali Zardari landed in the federal capital on Wednesday to appear before an accountability court on Thursday to face, after a decade, five references filed during Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s previous government in 1997.
“Mr Zardari has arrived in Islamabad and is staying in Zardari House. In pursuance of the court’s directives, he will appear before the court along with his chief defence counsel Farooq Naek,” the former president’s spokesman Senator Farhatullah Babar told Dawn.
On his arrival in Islamabad, Mr Zardari met senior leaders of the PPP.
The spokesman said he would stay here for a couple of days.
Former law minister Naek said his client would appear before the court although the interior ministry has not conveyed the security arrangements made for the occasion.
Mr Naek said he has written letters to Interior Secretary Shahid Khan and Islamabad police chief Sikandar Hayat, seeking foolproof security for the former president during hearing of the references. He demanded a bullet-proof vehicle and bomb disposal squad for his client. “I have not received any reply from both authorities,” he said.
He said Mr Zardari would not wait for the official security on Thursday and would go to the court under his personal security arrangements.
The references were made by the Ehtesab bureau (previous version of the National Accountability Bureau which is pursuing these cases) in 1997.
Some of these cases were also tried in a Swiss court but they have been closed down due to a time bar.
Mr Zardari last appeared in the court 10 years ago as he got bail in 2004 and went abroad.
Mr Naek was hopeful that NAB would not be able to get anything from the cases because they had been filed 17 years ago and nothing could be proven against his client since then. “Mr Zadrai is a brave man and believes in forgiving people. He is not vindictive,” he said.
Accountability Court Judge Muhammad Bashir had asked Mr Naek during the previous hearing to write to the government to organise the necessary security.
The former president may be indicted on his appearance in the court. He was earlier summoned in five references filed by NAB but didn’t appear before the court due to security issues and presidential immunity when he was in office.
His cases were reopened in October when NAB pleaded that his immunity had ended after he had stepped down.
The references filed against the former president are:
Polo ground case: This reference builds upon the construction of a polo ground along with ancillary works at the Prime Minister House, which NAB says are illegal and in violation of the rights and privileges afforded to him.
SGS: This corruption case is the continuance of a reference filed in 1997 that accused the late Benazir Bhutto and her spouse Zardari to have gained off a contract between the SGS and the government.
ARY: This reference revolves around granting of trade licenses to ARY Traders for importing gold and silver which NAB says has caused losses to the treasury.
Ursus tractors: This reference deals with alleged corruption during the import of Russian and Polish tractors.
Cotecna: This case is about the award of a contract to the Swiss company after allegedly receiving six per cent bribe on the revenue proceeds.