ISLAMABAD: The Accountability Court hearing Thatta water supply case against former president Asif Ali Zardari and others, on Thursday, granted time to the defense for arguments over acquittal pleas filed by them under the National Accountability (Second Amendment) Ordinance, 2021.

The Accountability Court-II Judge, Muhammad Azam Khan, while hearing the case against Zardari, Ejaz Ahmad Khan, and others, granted time to the defense for arguments over acquittal pleas and adjourned hearing of the case till January 18th.

At the start of the hearing, Zardari’s counsel Farooq H Naek filed an application seeking one-day exemption for his client to appear before it, which the court approved.

Naek told the court that he will start his arguments regarding the acquittal plea during the next hearing.

Zardari and other accused had challenged the same case under the National Accountability (Second Amendment) Ordinance, 2021 and filed acquittal applications before the same court.

The anti-graft body nominated Zardari and 13 other suspects in the supplementary filed in connection with Thatta water supply scam.

The bureau had not nominated Zardari in the interim reference and Ashfaq Leghari and incharge Naudero House Nadeem Bhutto in the interim reference.

In the interim reference, the bureau has nominated 13 accused including Ejaz Ahmed Khan, former secretary of Special Initiative Department of Sindh; Hassan Memon, project director/chairman of the procurement committee for the water supply scheme, Thatta, members of the committee namely, Ali Akbar Abro, Aijaz Ahmed Memon, Athar Nawaz Durrani, Abdul Haleem Memon, Mohammad Farrukh Khan, Mohammad Ramzan, Mohammad SiddiqSulemani, and Zeeshan Hasan Yousaf, a private contractor Harish, CEO Omni Group Khawaja Abdul Ghani Majeed, and Minahal Majeed.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021