The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday granted pre-arrest bail to former president Asif Ali Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur till April 10 against surety bonds of Rs1 million each.

A two-member bench heard the petitions. The court allowed both siblings to submit their surety bonds in cash.

Both Talpur and Zardari had filed separate bail petitions yesterday, urging the high court to prevent the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) from arresting them in the fake accounts case that is being probed by the anti-corruption watchdog. The case was transferred to NAB by the Supreme Court in a verdict passed in January this year.

The PPP co-chairman's counsel, in the petition, had asked the high court for instant interim bail. It further urged the IHC to grant Zardari bail until the conclusion of the case. It contended that a court of law is Zardari's only option to avoid arrest.

The PPP leader's counsel, in the petition, claimed that Zardari had received three summons from NAB so far but still was not aware of the actual number of inquiries against him and asked the court to direct the bureau to provide Zardari the details of all inquiries against him.

Strict security measures were taken ahead of Zardari and Talpur's arrival at the high court today. Rangers personnel were posted inside and outside the high court building and all roads leading to the IHC were blocked for traffic.

5 suspects in fake accounts case sent to judicial remand

The first five suspects in the fake accounts case ─ identified as Aftab Memon, Najam Zaman, Shabbir Bombaat, Hassan Memon and Jabbar Memon ─ were sent to Adiala Jail on judicial remand after an accountability court rejected NAB's plea for an extension in their physical remand.

NAB Rawalpindi had earlier been granted 14-day physical remand of the suspects. Today, Accountability Court Judge Mohammad Bashir declined the NAB prosecution's request for an extension in the remand, and sent them to jail on judicial remand.