KARACHI, July 20: Pakistan People’s Party vice chairman Makhdoom Amin Fahim on Wednesday accused the National Accountability Bureau of interfering in judicial process in Mir Murtaza Bhutto murder case against former Senator Asif Ali Zardari and termed it yet another proof of his apprehension that the NAB was being used for “political re-engineering” of the country. The acquittal application of Mr Zardari in Mir Murtaza Bhutto murder case was heard by the Sessions Judge (East) on July 19 who reserved judgment till Aug 20.

As soon as the sessions judge reserved his verdict, NAB prosecutor Zaheer Khan called for the file of the case from special prosecutor Ilyas Khan in the Mir Murtaza murder case. The Sindh law secretary also called for the details of the case from the district public prosecutor, it said.

In a statement, Amin Fahim said the NAB had nothing to do with the murder case pending before a court of competent jurisdiction. NAB’s jurisdiction of investigation and prosecution was limited to cases of corruption only and it had nothing to do with murder cases, he said.

The PPP leader said that the NAB was going out of the way and its interest in a murder case smacks of ulterior motives.

The NAB and the regime owed an explanation as to why such an extraordinary interest was being taken by the NAB in a case which was out of its jurisdiction, he said.

Mr Fahim said the PPP had always maintained that the NAB was serving as a political arm of the rulers to re-write the political landscape of the country so as to give a permanent role to the military in the country’s politics.

He urged the Supreme Court to take suo moto notice of NAB’s interference in the murder case against Senator Zardari.

He also asked the legal fraternity and human rights bodies to take notice and raise their voice.

Makhdoom Amin Fahim said that the party would raise the matter with the UN rapporteur on judges and also with diplomats and international bodies.