Daily Times

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday disposed of a case regarding discrepancies in financial assets of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

A four-member bench of the ECP, presided over by its Punjab member Altaf Ibrahim Qureshi, heard the case where counsel Farooq Naek appeared on behalf of Bilawal and submitted a reply. Accepting the reply, the ECP closed the case against the PPP leader.

Talking to media following the hearing, Naek said that the ECP had raised objections regarding Bilawal’s assets. “We submitted all the relevant documents to the ECP, and they accepted them,” he said.

Meanwhile, an accountability court deferred hearing of case against former president Asif Ali Zardari in the Park Lane reference till June 26.

As the hearing of the case resumed on Wednesday, Zardari’s lawyer Farooq H Naik submitted exemption pleas on behalf of the former president and his sister Faryal Talpur from appearing before the court due to the prevalent coronavirus situation in the country.

To this, Judge Azam Khan said that social distancing will be maintained in the courtroom. Naik said that due to a large number of lawyers present in the courtroom, maintaining social distance will not be possible. “Coronavirus has spread in the country and older people are likely to be more infected with the virus,” Naik told the court. “Both Zardari and his sister are over 60-years-old.”

In response, the accountability court said that if the accused cannot appear, they can record their video statement. To which, Majeed’s lawyer Latif Khosa maintained that despite the video statement, Majeed cannot be charged, till the accused himself appears before the court. However, the NAB prosecutor said that Majeed can be marked present if a judicial representative is present with him.

The NAB prosecutor further said that all the requirements have been met in the Park Lane case and that the date of the indictment should be fixed soon so that the trial can proceed. The court then granted Zardari and Talpur exemption from appearing before the court and fixed June 26 for indictment and adjourned the hearing of the money laundering case till July 7.