ISLAMABAD, Aug 2: Jailed PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari has filed a written application in the accountability court, saying that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) is trying to defame him.

He stated that the authorities, who normally did not allow reporters to cover the proceedings of the case against him, had themselves invited over a dozen journalists on Friday, when the court was supposed to frame charges against him in the SGS reference.

Judge Mansoor Ali Khan was supposed to indict Mr Zardari on Friday, but due to his unavailability, the case was heard in another court, which adjourned the proceedings until August 13 after issuing a notice to the prosecution to file a reply to Mr Zardari’s application.

Mr Zardari stated that the prosecution had invited the journalists to defame him in view of the forthcoming general elections.

Later, he told reporters that the hidden hand which had always dislodged the political governments in the past was again in action to keep the “biggest” political party out of elections.

The PPP, he claimed, was the symbol of federation and attempts to weaken it would encourage secessionist tendencies.

He said if the PPP was voted to power, it would constitute a commission to take the people into confidence on important matters.

He said that law minister Khalid Ranjha’s statement that both PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto and MQM leader Altaf Hussain should return to Pakistan by August 5, had created doubts about the fairness of forthcoming elections, as it was job of the chief election commissioner (CEC) to set such deadlines. He also asked the CEC to take notice of the statement of law minister.