ISLAMABAD: An accountability court here on Friday directed the administration of Adiala jail to allow facilities to former president Asif Ali Zardari as per his entitlement and in accordance with the advice of doctors.

Accountability Judge Mohammad Bashir announced the order on an application filed by the counsel for the former president against non-compliance with an earlier order in which the same court had allowed Mr Zardari to get facilities of air conditioner, internet, refrigerator and personal attendant at his own expense.

The court ordered that Mr Zardari might be given air conditioning facility if a doctor so advised.

During the course of hearing, a representative of Adiala jail informed the court that Mr Zardari had been medically examined at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS). He said that doctors did not advice provision of air conditioner to Mr Zardari.

He said that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was given an air conditioner in his cell in Kot Lakhpat jail on the advice of doctors.

The counsel told the court that Mr Zardari was a cardiac patient and he required proper care in jail.

Ex-president set to enjoy facilities of internet, refrigerator and personal attendant at own expense

He said that being the ex-president, Mr Zardari was entitled to avail ‘A’ class facilities in jail. According to him, Mr Zardari was given such facilities during the detention even before becoming the president.

The accountability court had on Aug 16 allowed the former president to avail these facilities from his own pocket.

However, as the Adiala jail administration was not allowing Mr Zardari to have these facilities even at his own expense, his legal team filed an application in the accountability court, seeking initiation of contempt proceedings against the jail authorities.

In response to the court’s notice, the superintendent of Adiala jail submitted a report explaining that the jail administration had sought opinion of the law department on the matter related to provision of facilities to the former president.

According to the report, Mr Zardari is getting facilities of ice box for keeping medicines, TV and newspapers. It said that the former president was also given medical treatment and instead of deploying an exclusive attendant, he was being looked after by the medical staff round the clock.

It said that for the provision of air conditioner, the jail administration was awaiting advice of the Punjab government.

Mr Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur have been behind bars since June 10 after the dismissal of their pre-arrest bails by the Islamabad High Court.

As per the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) report, Mr Zardari is facing interim references in the fake bank accounts case, which included M/s Park Lane company, illegal award of contracts by the Sindh government’s Special Initiative Department. Another reference is based on the FIR registered by the Federal Investigation Agency on June 7, 2018 in connection with fake accounts.

He is also facing inquires related to the misappropriation of cane growers’ subsidy, taking vehicles from Tosha Khana and paying their import duties from fake accounts, transaction of Rs8.3 billion from Bahria Town through fake accounts and receiving kickbacks in JV Opal by the Zardari Group.

The 22 inquiries in which NAB suspects a possible role of Mr Zardari also relate to the payment of import duties on the vehicles from fake accounts, illegal subsidy to captive power plants, misappropriation in cane growers’ subsidy for the 2014-15 period, misappropriation in Sindh Tractor scheme’s subsidy, extending illegal favours to the Technomen Power project, overvaluation of power projects, illegal creation and expansion of Summit Bank, selling of Thatta and Dadu sugar mills, corruption in revival of sick industrial units in Sindh, illegal award of contracts, extending loans from the National Bank, Summit Bank and Sindh Bank to the Omni Group, Pakistan Steel Mills land, acquisition of land through private firms, JV Opal and illegal acquisition of Thatta Cement.

As per the NAB report, most of these cases are those in which accused persons, including Mr Zardari, his sister Faryal Talpur, Hussain Lawai, Anwar Majeed and family, as well as other accused sought bail from the court.

Published in Dawn, September 14th, 2019