The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued a notice to National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Justice (r) Javed Iqbal over former president Asif Ali Zardari’s application regarding the transfer of graft cases against him from Islamabad’s accountability court to Karachi. A three-judge apex bench led by Justice Umar Ata Bandial heard Zardari’s plea through former president’s counsel Farooq H Naek. “We have to review the circumstances under which the Supreme Court ordered to file the reference in Islamabad’s [accountability court]”, the court remarked. The judge also referred SC January 7, 2009 judgement wherein the apex court had ordered to transfer all cases related to fake accounts from Karachi to Islamabad. “Can’t stop or change the decision of the court,” the Supreme Court stated. Naek prayed the court that under NAB law, it is a legal right to apply for transfer of case and that the legal right cannot be revoked by court order. Justice Bandial remarked that the verdict mentioned several allegations which led to the case being filed in Islamabad [accountability court]. Naek prayed the court to ask NAB if those allegations were still valid. “NAB files reference in Islamabad on court’s order,” Justice Bandial replied, asking whether references against Asif Zardari have ever been filed in Islamabad before.
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