The Accountability Court hearing the multibillion rupees fake bank accounts case on Tuesday rejected a petition filed by former President Asif Ali Zardari, seeking his shifting from jail to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) for availing medical facilities. The Accountability Court Judge Muhammad Bashir on October 14 reserved his judgment after hearing the arguments of Zardari's counsel Sardar Latif Khosa. The court while announcing its verdict turned down Zardari's petition and asked the applicant to approach the relevant forum as it does not come under the jurisdiction of this court.

The same court on August 16 sent Co-Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Zardari to Adiala Jail in the mega money laundering through fake accounts case. Zardari was arrested by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in connection with this case on June 10.

During the previous hearing, Khosa arguing before the court said that the former president was suffering from a number of health issues including heart problem that could pose a threat to his life. "Provision of health facilities to my client is his legal right," he said, adding that Zardari does not want to take anything from this government except provision of legal rights.

"If my client suffers from heart problem, these people (jail authorities) would not be able to shift him to hospital in time because its takes one-and-a-half-hour to reach hospital from Adiala Jail," he said. The counsel said that medical board constituted for Zardari had advised to shift him to PIMS from jail for availing medical facilities. The jail authorities took him to the hospital just for one day and shifted him back to the jail on the very next day, he said.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019