Zardari's request for transfer of references, SC issues notice to NAB
- The court also issued notices to all the accused including Faryal Talpur.
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued notice to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on former president Asif Ali Zardari's request for transfer of references from accountability court Islamabad to Karachi.
The court also issued notices to all the accused including Faryal Talpur.
A three-member apex court bench led by Justice Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Sajjad Ali Shah and Justice Munib Akhtar heard the case filed by the former President Asif Ali Zardari.
During the course of proceedings, the bench remarked that the court would have to review the circumstances under which the SC ordered to file the references in Islamabad’s accountability court.
The bench also referred SC's January 7, 2009 judgment wherein the apex court had ordered to transfer all cases related to fake accounts from Karachi to Islamabad.
The bench stated that it could not stop or change the decision of the court.
Advocate Farooq H Naek counsel for former President Asif Ali Zardari pleaded that under NAB law it was a legal right to apply for transfer of case and it cannot be revoked.
Justice Bandial remarked that the verdict mentioned several allegations which led to the case being filed in Islamabad's accountability court.
Counsel for the respondent Naek prayed the court to ask NAB if those allegations were still valid.
Upon this, Justice Bandial responded that NAB filed references in Islamabad on court's order. He asked whether references against Asif Zardari have ever been filed in Islamabad before.
To this, Zardari’s counsel said that references were filed in Lahore and Rawalpindi whereas one was also heard in Attock Fort. Asif Zardari had been acquitted in all cases in the past, he added.
Justice Munib Akhtar said that it was not necessary to issue notices to so many accused.
Giving notice to the NAB, the apex court adjourned the proceedings for a month. The court also issued notices to all the accused including Zardari’s sister Faryal Talpur.
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