Family members, lawyers can meet Zardari, Talpur once a week; court rules

• AC rejects petition seeking permission to meet PPP leaders
• Family members could meet once a week

ISLAMABAD: An Accountability Court (AC) Monday rejected the identical petitions filed by family members and counsels of former president Asif Ali Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur, seeking permission to meet the accused twice a week.

However, the court ordered that the lawyers and family members could meet once a week with the accused who were in jail on judicial remand in fake accounts references.

AC-I Judge Muhammad Bashir announced the judgment after hearing arguments from lawyer on petitions.

During outset of hearing, the petitioners' lawyer informed the court that the legal team of the accused was containing Sardar Latif Khosa, Shaista Khosa and Shahbaz Khosa while Bilawal Butto Zardari, Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari, Asifa Bhutto Zardari and Rukhsana Bangash were include in family members of the accused. These persons had been allowed to meet Zardari and Talpur once a week.

He adopted the stance that if these persons could not meet the accused on fixed days due to cases in Karachi then they had to wait whole for week.

He prayed the court to allow Bilawal Bhutto to meet the accused on September 17, as he had to return Larkana due to election campaign.

He also prayed the court to allow the above persons to meet Asif Zardari and Faryal Talpur twice a week.

After hearing arguments, the court dismissed the petitions and declared that the meeting could be conducted only once a week.