Daily Times

Former president Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday withdraw all of his interim bail applications from the Islamabad High Court in National Accountability Bureau (NAB) inquiries related to ‘Tosha Khan’ and Park Lane, connected with the fake bank accounts scam.

A division bench of Islamabad High Court comprising Justice Aamir Farooq and Justice Mohsin Akhter Kiyani resumed hearing of miscellaneous applications filed by Zardari.

On the orders of the Islamabad High Court, the NAB produced the former president before the bench under foolproof security arrangements.

When the hearing began, Zardari came to the rostrum and said he himself wanted to argue. “My lawyers are competent and I have full confidence on our courts but I will argue myself,” he said. He told the court that he wanted to withdraw all of his pre-bail petitions and would face the corruption references against him initiated by the NAB.

He stated that he had established a private company but there was no evidence that it obtained loans. “I have faced similar cases in the past, I was sentenced to jail for eight years in BMW case. At that time the Almighty had helped me and I faced the charges,” Zardari said. He further said that all the corruption reference against him initiated by the NAB were fake. He said there was no documentary proof to substantiate that he had signed any letter as director of the Park Lane Company. “I have no connection with the Park Lane and Tosha Khana,” he added. He also said that there was no law to stop him from establishing any company.

During the hearing, the NAB prosecutor said the bureau had no objection over the withdrawal or rejection of the accused’s bail applications. While talking to the media outside the court, Zardari said, “If they want to put me in prison they can.” On the occasion, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said his party’s strategy was very open, “we are still fighting for democracy as we were fighting in the past”. He said PPP lawyers and he himself were not allowed to enter the premises of the Islamabad High Court. “Family and lawyers are not allowed. Is this a democracy… is this new Pakistan?”

Stringent security arrangements were made at the court by deploying security personnel to avoid any untoward situation. Zardari surrendered on June 10 after the Islamabad High Court rejected his pre-arrest bail plea in the fake bank accounts case.