December 27, 2001	Thursday	Shawwal 11, 1422

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KARACHI, Dec 26: The release orders of Asif Ali Zardari, spouse of the former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, who has been granted bail in all cases against him, were issued on Monday by the courts after surety bonds were furnished in the last three cases on his behalf.

Two surety bonds, each in the sum of Rs1 million, were furnished for his release in the Mir Murtaza Bhutto murder case and another two, each in the sum of Rs25,000, in two separate cases, both pertaining to alleged suicide attempt by Mr Zardari were also furnished.

A sessions court of the district East issued the release orders of Asif Ali Zardari in the Mir Murtaza Bhutto case, and a judicial magistrate of district South ordered his release in the suicide attempt case.

According to Farooq Naek, one of the counsel for the husband of the former prime minister, his client should be released as he has been granted bail in all cases against him.

There are 13 cases against Mr Zardari, who was arrested on Nov 5, 1996, at the Punjab Governor House, following the dismissal of Benazir Bhutto government by the then president, Farooq Leghari.

His counsel said if his client was arrested in any old reference, filed during the Nawaz government, it would be malafide and political victimization to obstruct the release of Mr Zardari.

Asif Zardari, who was initially detained under the Maintenance of Public Order, was first arrested in the Murtaza Bhutto murder case in November 1996, after the high court set aside his detention under MPO.

Later, he was charge-sheeted in the container case, Justice Nizam murder case, attempt to commit suicide case, Alam Baloch murder case, SGC reference, ARY Gold reference, tractor reference, Sajjad Ali murder case and Polo Ground reference.

His counsel told Dawn that he had been granted bail in as many as 10 cases and in three cases he was not arrested.

Mr Zardari was booked in 11 cases during the Nawaz Sharif government. He was booked in the Polo Ground reference and indicted in the Sajjad Ali murder case after the dismissal of the Nawaz government.

Munawwar Soharwardi, a leader of the Pakistan People’s Party, told Dawn that the release of Asif Zardari was expected very shortly as the surety bonds of the bails, obtained in all cases, had accordingly been furnished. “We have fulfilled all constitutional and legal requirements for the release of our leader,” he said.