Karachi: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) granted on Wednesday pre-arrest bail to Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari in a case pertaining to his alleged ownership of an apartment in New York.

The IHC has approved Zardari’s bail till July 28 and has directed the former president to submit surety bonds worth Rs500,000, ARY reported. It has also sought the National Accountability Bureau's (NAB) reply in the next hearing.

During the hearing on Tuesday, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Aamer Farooq had summoned Zardari on July 7 (today) saying that if the PPP leader is seeking pre-arrest bail then he should appear before the court.

Apartment in New York: IHC summons Zardari

On July 5, the PPP leader sought pre-arrest bail in the case, arguing that the allegations made by NAB are based on malafide intentions so as to malign him. In his petition, Zardari said that the accountability watchdog had issued several call-up notices to him in different matters “to politically damage his reputation”.

On June 15, NAB had issued a notice, along with a questionnaire to Zardari. The bureau sought details of the apartment the former president allegedly owns in Belaire Condominiums located at 524 East 72nd Street, New York.