Court sends Asif Ali Zardari to jail on judicial remand

An accountability court sent on Friday former president and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari on judicial remand in the money laundering through fake accounts case.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) team presented the PPP leader before the court as his physical remand ends today. NAB prosecutor requested accountability court Judge Mohammad Bashir to extend the physical remand of Zardari. The prosecutor told the court that a suspect had given a statement which they wanted to interrogate Zardari about.

Zardari's counsel Latif Khosa argued that his client had earlier requested that NAB be granted his 90-day physical remand once. He added that NAB keeps asking for more remand and the repeated court appearances cause a loss to the national exchequer.

After listening to the arguments from both sides, the judge sent Zardari to jail on judicial remand till August 19, local media reported. The court has also directed the accountability watchdog to present the former president on August 19.

On June 10, a NAB team arrested Zardari after the Islamabad High Court rejected petition seeking extension in his pre-arrest bail. The PPP leader was again arrested in the Park Lane case and since then has been in NAB's physical remand.