Appearance in Park Lane reference: AC gives one-day exemption to Zardari, others

ISLAMABAD: An accountability court Thursday gave one-day exemption to co-chairman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Asif Ali Zardari and other accused from personal appearance in Park Lane reference.

The Accountability Court-II judge, Muhammad Azam Khan, heard the case, and approved the applications for one-day exemption filed by Zardari and others in the case.

The counsel had already submitted the exemption pleas for his clients, which the court accepted and granted them one-day exemption from personal hearing.

The counsel for Zardari and others could not appear before the court due to some other engagement, due to which the court adjourned the case till January 7, 2022.

The same court also heard Thatta water supply case against former president Asif Zardari and others, and adjourned the hearing till December 23 due to absence of the defence counsel.

On behalf of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), its prosecutor Irfan Bhola, and investigation officer Furqan Hamid appeared before the court.

Another Accountability Court headed by judge Muhammad Bashir, which was supposed to take up the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) corruption reference filed against former chairman Ogra Tauqeer Sadiq as the judge was on leave. The case will now be taken up on December 23rd.

The former Ogra chairman was co-accused of having caused a loss of Rs52 billion to the national exchequer.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021