Daily Times

“What can we say in a country where the chief justice conducts raids,” said former president Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday while commenting on Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Mian Saqib Nisar’s visit to the hospital room of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Sharjeel Inam Memon.

When asked by a reporter why Zardari objected to CJPs visit and not the alcohol found in Memon’s room, Zardari said, “I just know that are thousands of cases pending before the Supreme Court (SC) which should also be pursued.”

PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari spoke to the media outside a local banking court where he had come to submit bail bonds of Rs2 million (mn) and signed documents. Zardari was granted temporary bail in a money laundering case a day earlier.

Zardari was asked again why he did not arrive to court in a helicopter this time. “Lets see when I get it,” quipped the former president. He was further asked whether helicopters had become inexpensive to which he said, “Yes I’m hearing that it costs Rs50-55” in an apparent reference to Federal Information Fawad Chaudhry’s claim that Prime Minister (PM) Khan’s trips to and from Bani Gala cost only Rs50 per kilometre (km).

In response to a question about the presidential election, the former president said, “May be Maulana Fazlur Rehman will withdraw from the contest.”

Sharjeel Inam Memon who is being tried for corruption was shifted to a hospital room from jail on account of health issues. Earlier on Saturday, the CJP paid a surprise visit to the hospital rooms of three political prisoners including Sharjeel Inam Memon. The CJP also visited the hospital rooms of Hassan Lawai and Abdul Ghani Majeed, who are both being tried in a money laundering case.

According to CJP, he found three liquor bottles in Memon’s room. Following the incident, Memon was shifted back to Karachi Central Jail after his blood samples were drawn. His hospital room was sealed and two men were also arrested from his room.

Published in Daily Times, September 2^nd 2018.