June 04, 2006	Sunday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 7, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, June 3: District and Sessions Judge Rafiuz Zaman here on Saturday issued arrest warrants of Pakistan People’s Party chairperson Benazir Bhutto and her husband Asif Zardari in a case filed against them by the National Accountability Bureau for allegedly concealing their assets during elections held in the country 10 years ago.

The judge also directed the ministry of interior to seek help from the International Police (Interpol) for the arrest of Ms Bhutto and Mr Zardari and produce them before the court on July 3.

The warrants were issued on the ground that the couple had not responded to the summons, issued by the court in the case filed against them by NAB.

NAB had sought action against the former prime minister and Mr Zardari for filing a false statement of assets with the Election Commission during the elections held in 1996.

Meanwhile, PPP information secretary Sherry Rehman in a statement said the government had intensified its ‘political victimisation campaign’ against Ms Bhutto which proved that it was perturbed over its failure to strike a deal with the PPP and the signing of the Charter of Democracy.

She said it was the responsibility of the Election Commission to take action against those who had submitted false statements, and termed the issuance of the arrest warrants an ‘insult’ to the institution of the EC.

Ms Rehman said that Interpol was an international body and it did not act on the directives of a sessions judge.

She said earlier the government had failed to prove any corruption against Ms Bhutto despite spending huge amount on foreign visits of NAB officials and use of state machinery.