ISLAMABAD
The accountability court Islamabad on Saturday released details of its decision over approval of bail to former president Asif Ali Zardari in the New York apartment case.
Accountability court Judge Mohammad Bashir granted bail to Asif Ali Zardari on medical grounds. “Mr Zardari being granted permanent bail due to his health problems,” the court said in its decision.
“The New York property case against Asif Ali Zardari has been in the inquiry phase. The NAB has yet to collect evidence against him,” the court observed.
“The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) could submit petition in court with regard to cancellation of his bail on the basis of substantial evidence,” the court said. “The NAB received complaints against Asif Zardari in year 2018 and 2019 and it received the JIT report on the matter in April 2019,” according to the court.
Meanwhile, the Accountability Court (AC) Islamabad has issued detailed judgment on granting bail to former president Asif Ali Zardari in New York Apartments case.
The court, in its verdict, states that former president Asif Ali Zardari has been granted bail on medical grounds as he is facing health problems. The decision was authored by Judge Muhammad Bashir.
The judge further said that the New York Property case against former president Asif Ali Zardari is in the process of inquiry. NAB has yet to collect evidence. NAB can appeal for revocation of the bail on the basis of solid evidence.
The complaints regarding assets against Asif Ali Zardari were filed in 2018 and 2019. JIT report was received by NAB in April 2019. Asif Zardari after his arrest in another case was released on December 2019, the court added.
The NAB had served Asif Zardari a notice along with a questionnaire to provide information about his property of Belair apartment, 524 East 72nd Street, 37F, Manhattan, New York, United States.
He had subsequently obtained pre-arrest bail from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to avoid his arrest by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
However, Asif Ali Zardari denied owning the expensive apartment in Manhattan. “I had sold out the apartment the same year I purchased it,” the sources quoted him as saying in the reply he filed through his lawyers.
