Islamabad - The Islamabad High Court (IHC) will take up two important cases, including NAB’s petition against acquittal of Zardari in corruption references and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) appeal against Lakhvi’s bail in the current week.
A Division Bench (DB) of IHC comprising Justice Noor-ul-Haq N Qureshi and Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui on Wednesday (tomorrow) will take up National Accountability Bureau (NAB) application against the acquittal of former president Asif Ali Zardai by an Accountability Court (AC) in corruption references against him.
The NAB authorities have approached the IHC challenging the Accountability Court (AC)’s verdict about acquittal of former president Asif Ali Zardari in two corruption cases.
The NAB has moved the IHC through its Prosecutor General Waqas Qadeer Dar and challenged AC decision in which it had acquitted Zardari in two corruption references, including ARY Gold and Ursus tractors. In the application, NAB cited Zardari as respondent and pleaded the court to declare verdict of AC dated December 12 as null and void.
The NAB prosecutor has also requested the court to permit them to produce witnesses and evidences against Zardari before the court in this matter.
Earlier, Accountability Court (AC) Islamabad judge Muhammad Bashir had acquitted former President and PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zadrdari in two corruption cases as the NAB failed to give any proof and produce any witness.
The counsel for the former president had contended before the court that the main accused in these references had already been acquitted, so a co-accused could not be tried and should be acquitted under the NAB Ordinance, 1999.
Similarly on March 26 (Thursday), the same IHC dual bench will resume the hearing of a petition moved by Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), seeking cancellation of bail granted to Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi operational commander of banned outfit Laskhar-e-Tayyaba (LeT) by an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) of Islamabad in Mumbai terrorists attack.
During the previous hearing of the case, counsel for Lakhvi, Raja Rizwan Abbasi Advocate had adopted before the court that his client was implicated in this case due to confessional statement of Ajmal Kasab. Advocate Abbasi had argued that the IHC bench may direct to produce the judgment of Indian court in this case.
At this juncture, Justice Siddiqui in the bench said that how it is possible to produce judgment of the Indian court. If you have got a copy then you can submit the same, IHC bench said to the counsel.
Lakhvi’s counsel said that the court may direct the authorities to produce his client before the court. At which Justice Qureshi said that the court would issue directions whenever it feels it is necessary. Justice Siddiqui in the bench said that Lakhvi’s appearance before the court involves perils.
FIA prosecutor Ch Azhar informed the court that since the trial record of Lakhvi is with the high court, the proceedings of this case at trial court were affected. At which the IHC bench directed to dispatch the record to trial Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) and said that the court could issue directions for reproduction of the record when the case will be taken up once again.
FIA in it bail cancellation petition has maintained that the accused Lakhvi is an influential person and if his bail would not be revoked he is likely to influence the trial proceedings of Mumbai attacks case pending before the ATC.
Lakhvi is operational chief of the banned militant outfit LeT and an alleged mastermind of the November 26, 2008 attacks in Mumbai and ATC judge Syed Kausar Abbas Zaidi granted post arrest bail to Lakhvi against the surety bonds worth of one million rupees.