The Accountability Court hearing the multibillion rupees fake bank accounts case on Tuesday rejected the plea of former President Asif Ali Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur seeking A-class in jail. Accountability Court Judge Muhammad Bashir while announcing the reserved judgement turned down the application of Zardari and his sister seeking A-class facilities and directed jail authorities to provide them Better Class under which both the suspects will be allowed to avail additional facilities including air-conditioner, fridge, television and newspaper, etc, at their own expenses.
The court also allowed meeting of both the suspects with their family members twice a week. The court in its order about Talpur's application seeking transit remand, ordered her to contact through Inspector General of Police (IGP) prison for transit remand.
Earlier during the hearing, defence counsel Farooq H Naek while arguing before the court said that being a former president of Pakistan, the Constitution provides A-class facilities to Zardari for life. About Talpur, he said that she remained twice as mayor and now she is a member of provincial assembly of Sindh. Sardar Latif Khosa, another defence counsel, told the court that it had allowed Zardari to keep an attendant when he was in the custody of National Accountability Bureau (NAB). He said that a trial court allowed A-class facilities to Zardari in jail even when he was not the president of Pakistan.
Khosa said that Zardari is in the custody of this court and it should provide him A-class facilities. He also produced a previous judgement before the court that allowed A-class facilities in jail. He said that his client is suffering from a number of medical problems which may pose a threat to his life; therefore, he might be granted A-class facility in prison.
Defence counsel Naek asked whether the NAB had any objection to transit remand of Talpur. To which, NAB Deputy Prosecutor General Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi said that the bureau has objection as the process of getting transit remand is different. The concerned speaker contacts home department of concerned government for transit remand, he said, adding that the directives of speaker are sufficient for the concerned department. He further said that this application is not maintainable in this court.
While arguing on the application of Zardari and Talpur seeking A-class in jail, Abbasi said that rules of A and B classes in the jail have been abolished. "Now better facilities are available in prison in Better Class," he said, adding that the prisoners in Better Class avail additional facilities at their own expenses. He said that this court has nothing to do with provision of A-class facilities to prisoners. He said that Khosa is saying that they would not beg [for facilities] from the government.