ISLAMABAD: The top anti-graft body on Thursday brought in two witnesses before an accountability court against former President Asif Ali Zardari, ex-premier Yousaf Raza Gillani, and two others who recorded their testimony in gift depository reference case.

The two witnesses recorded their statements against Zardari, Gillani, Anwar Majeed, and Abdul Ghani Majeed, before an Accountability Court Judge Asghar Ali. The counsel for Zardari sought exemption for his client from appearing in the court, which the court accepted.

The counsel also objected over recording the statements of the NAB witnesses, saying they were not told about the witnesses. The court allowed Naek to proceed with cross examination of witnesses presented by the NAB against his clients.

The NAB prosecutor said that the cross examination of the witnesses would be one by one. He also requested the court to conduct daily hearing of gift depository reference case, but Naek objected to the plea taken by him, and said "don't know why NAB is in such a hurry in this particular case". "It would be a security risk, if Zardari is directed to appear in the court on a daily basis," he contended.

The AC judge told Naek not to waste time as daily hearing decision would not be taken on his insistence. Imran Zafar, one of the two witnesses presented by the NAB in the court, said that he had been working as deputy director confidential with Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) "when he got a letter from NAB on Feb 7, 2019, requesting the asset details submitted by Zardari in 2008".

"The ECP nominated me to provide the records," he added. The second witness, Waqarul Hassan Shah, an assistant director of the Excise and Taxation Department, while recording his statement before the court, said that "there were only three vehicles registered in the name of Asif Zardari".

"I handed over the relevant details to the inquiry officer of the NAB," he added. The hearing of the case was adjourned till October 1st.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020