KARACHI, Feb 16: An accountability court in Karachi on Wednesday, granting a miscellaneous application of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and others, directed the prosecution to first sum up its case against the accused.

AC Judge Parkash Lal Ambwani was conducting trial of a corruption reference against accused pertaining to illegal recruitment in PIA.

The application under Section 265-G CrPC was filed by Abdul Hafeez Lakho, Azizullah K Sheikh and Shaista Shamim on behalf of Benazir Bhutto, Nahid Khan and Ghulam Qadir Jamote, praying the court to direct the prosecutor to sum up the prosecution case against the remaining accused first who have not examined defence witnesses.

Special Public Prosecutor Nasir Hussain Jaffery opposed the application contending that the accused should sum up their case first as one co-accused had produced defence witnesses in his support. The court, after hearing arguments from both sides, allowed the application of defence side and fixed March 1 for the next hearing. -PPI