Pakistan anti-corruption court extends Former President Zardari's judicial remand by three days
An anti-corruption court on Friday extended former Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari's judicial remand in the fake bank accounts case by three days, according to media reports.
Zardari, 64, was presented before accountability court judge Mohammad Bashir who sent the former president to Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi on judicial remand, after the National Accountability Bureau prosecutor Muzaffar Abbasi said there was a new development in the matter and sought an extension in Zardari's physical remand, Dawn newspaper reported.
The co-chairman of Pakistan Peoples Party will now be presented in the accountability court on August 19, the report said. Zardari's counsel Sardar Latif Khosa told the court his client had already said he be given a 90-day remand, Geo TV reported.
"The NAB officials ask for a four-day remand then again ask for a new remand. These repeated appearances are only causing losses to the national treasury," the counsel was quoted as saying.
Zardari, the 11th President of Pakistan from 2008 to 2013, asked why wasn't he allowed to meet his daughter Aseefa Bhutto Zardari, despite her having the court's permission.
Khosa also filed a plea in the court asking that Zardari be provided with A-class facilities in prison, including medical facilities and the permission to meet his family.
Zardari said that he was not allowed to offer prayers even on Eidul Azha. Zardari, the husband of the country's first woman prime minister Benazir Bhutto, was arrested by the NAB officials on July 1.
He was already in NAB custody since June 10 after the Islamabad High Court dismissed his pre-arrest bail petition in the fake accounts case. Zardari has denied any link with the fake accounts. He has said the allegation was part of a vilification campaign by the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party of Prime Minister Imran Khan to malign Opposition leaders.
