ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday granted interim bail till June 13 to former president Asif Ali Zardari in a case related to alleged award of illegal contracts.

It is the eighth case in which the high court has granted pre-arrest interim bail to Mr Zardari so far since the transfer from Karachi to Islamabad of the fake accounts case.

The IHC division bench comprising Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani heard the petition.

Advocate Farooq H. Naek, the counsel for Mr Zardari, told the court that NAB had issued a notice and asked the Pakistan Peoples Party’s co-chairman to appear before the investigation team on May 23 in connection with the alleged illegal award of contracts to a private firm.

Mr Naek said it was possible that Mr Zardari would be arrested upon his arrival in the NAB’s office and requested the court to grant a pre-arrest bail to him.

The bench granted interim bail to Mr Zardari against Rs200,000 surety bonds.

Qaim’s bail plea

The IHC disposed of a pre-arrest bail plea of former chief minister of Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah after NAB told the court that it is not going to arrest him.

NAB has issued a call-up notice to Mr Shah in connection with the Thatta and Dadu sugar mills after which he applied for a pre-arrest bail to the IHC.

On Tuesday, when the division bench resumed hearing of the petition, NAB informed it that the investigation team is not planning to arrest Mr Shah at this stage.

The court disposed of the petition.

Bail refused

An accountability court dismissed the post-arrest bail plea of Hussain Lawai and Talha Raza in the fake accounts case.

The prosecution produced Mr Lawai before Judge Mohammad Arshad Malik in handcuffs during the hearing of the case.

Asif Zardari, his sister Faryal Talpur and others were also present in the courtroom.

The court was about to fix the case for framing of charges but deferred the date since the copies of the references have not been provided to all the accused persons.

The judge issued show-cause notices to the Sindh chief secretary and the superintendent of Karachi prison for their failure to produce detained Abdul Ghani Majeed and Anwar Majeed before the court.

The court was informed that another accused Raheel Mubin had suffered from brain haemorrhage and had been taken to hospital.

The court put off proceedings till May 30.

Published in Dawn, May 22nd, 2019