ISLAMABAD: The Accountability Court, on Monday again adjourned the hearing of Thatta Water Supply case involving former president Asif Ali Zadari and others without proceedings due to the lawyers’ protest against the demolition of their illegal chambers. The Accountability Court-II judge, Muhammad Azam Khan, while hearing the case adjourned the hearing till March 8th.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutor, Sohail Arif, appeared before the court. Zardari’s lead counsel Farooq H Naek did not appear before the court, but his associate appeared and requested the court to adjourn hearing as the Islamabad Bar Association (IBA) and the Islamabad District Bar Association (IDBA) have announced protest against demolition of their illegal chambers by the Capital Development Authority (CDA).

At the start of the hearing, associate of Zardari’s counsel and the counsel of the other accused filed separate applications seeking exemption for their clients from personal appearance which the court approved.

The anti-graft body nominated Asif Ali Zardari and 13 other suspects, in the supplementary filed in connection with Thatta water supply scam. The bureau had not nominated Zardari in the interim reference, and Ashfaq Leghari, and in-charge Naudero House Nadeem Bhutto, in the supplementary reference.

In the interim reference, the bureau nominated 13 accused including Ejaz Ahmed Khan, former secretary of the Special Initiative Department of Sindh, Hassan Memon, project director/chairman of the procurement committee for the water supply scheme, Thatta, members of the committee, Ali Akbar Abro, Aijaz Ahmed Memon, Athar Nawaz Durrani, Abdul Haleem Memon, Mohammad Farrukh Khan, Mohammad Ramzan, Mohammad Siddiq Sulemani, and Zeeshan Hasan Yousaf, a private contractor Harish, CEO Omni Group Khawaja Abdul Ghani Majeed, and Minahal Majeed.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021