Supreme Court directs LHC Bench to dispose of Zardari case in 3 weeks

The Supreme Court on Wednesday set a three-week deadline for the Accountability Bench of the Lahore High Court to dispose of a corruption reference against former Senator Asif Ali Zardari and ruled that the apex court will itself adjudicate the case on the basis of present record if the High Court failed to meet the deadline.
The Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice Nazim Hussain Siddiqui, Justice Javed Iqbal and Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar issued this directive in a petition of Asif Ali Zardari, spouse of former premier Benazir Bhutto, in Steel Mills corruption reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
Zardari has filed an appeal against his conviction in the said reference before the Accountability Bench of the Lahore High Court which is lying pending for last many months.
He has also moved the Supreme Court for early disposal of the case so that he can come out of years-long detention. Zardari is facing incarceration since November 5, 1996.
On Wednesday the NAB counsel advocate Jaffar Hashmi submitted before the bench that the Lahore High Court is about to conclude the reference against Zardari and as such this petition be adjourned.
However, the Chief Justice Nazim Hussain Siddiqui scold him saying that NAB was deliberately delaying the adjudication of this case as it had adjournments so many times.
Justice Javed Iqbal observed that according to the National Accountability Bureau Ordinance a reference should be disposed of within 30 days but the fact is that the NAB consume this mandatory period in just moving the files and adjudication take years.
Mr Zardari's legal counsel, Raja Muhammad Anwer submitted before the bench that a division bench of the Lahore High Court had reserved judgement in this case after the conclusion of hearing but one of the judge, Justice Maulvi Anwarul Haq, of the said bench was transferred from Rawalpindi to Multan just to linger on the case.
The Supreme Court bench ruled that the same concerned bench will decide about this matter within three weeks that had conducted the entire hearing.
Zardari's legal team told the bench that their client had been accused of rendering a loss of Rs 40 million to the national exchequer but a co-accused in this reference, Executive Officer, Asif had been released under a deal with the NAB.
The bench then issued directives to the concerned Accountability Bench with three-week deadline.