Former president Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday appeared before the accountability court amid tight security in assets' reference - a case which accused him and his slain wife, former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto of acquiring assets illegally. The accountability court judge Khalid Ranjha while hearing the case filed by National Accountability Bureau (NAB) granted former president and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairman permanent exemption from appearance before it in assets' reference and permitted him to be represented by his lawyer in the next hearings.
The courts adjourned hearing till June 2 and summoned witnesses during the next hearing. Zardari's counsel, Amjad Iqbal Qureshi, talking to media said that the court premises are highly unsafe for the former president as well as for his lawyers. "There are nine gates through which one can easily enter the court's premises due to inadequate security," he said.
Heavy contingent of the police and other law enforcement agencies personnel were deployed on the occasion to avert any untoward incident. A large number of the PPP workers and office bearers were gathered outside the court to welcome Zardari. The PPP workers were holding placards, portraits of Zardari and wearing caps and ribbons depicting party flags colour.
The assets reference was initiated against Zardari and Benazir in 2001 during former president Pervez Musharraf tenure in which Zardari was accused of misusing authority during his wife regime as prime minister, but its hearing was adjourned indefinitely in 2010. According to allegations, Zardari illegally made assets in 1990s when his wife Benazir Bhutto was the Prime Minister and he deposited the money obtained from kickbacks in different Swiss banks. Benazir name was removed as co-accused after her murder in a terrorist attack.
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