ISLAMABAD - Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday granted pre-arrest bail to former president and Co-Chairperson of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Asif Ali Zardari in a case related to a call-up notice issued by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) asking details of his alleged ownership of an apartment in New York. 

Zardari moved the court through his counsel Farooq H Naek and cited Chairman NAB, DG Rawalpindi and the investigation officer as respondents in the matter. His medical report from Zia-ud-Din Hospital has also been attached with the plea. 

A division bench of IHC comprising Chief Justice of IHC Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Aamer Farooq conducted hearing of the case and granted Zardari bail till July 28 against the surety bonds worth Rs500,000. 

The court also issued notices to the NAB seeking its response in the matter and deferred the proceedings. 

The anti-corruption watchdog had issued a notice, along with a questionnaire, to the PPP co-chairperson on June 15 seeking details of the apartment he allegedly owns in Belaire, 524 East 72nd Street, 37F, Manhattan, New York. 

NAB notice seeks details of apartment in New York allegedly owned by PPP Co-Chairperson  

In the petition, Zardari’s counsel adopted that the notice is baseless and the allegations made therein are based on malafide intentions so as to malign him. He submitted that the petitioner is not in ownership of any property in New York including (the) apartment as of date mentioned in the notice. 

He contended that to cause harassment to the petitioner and to politically damage his reputation, respondent NAB had issued several call-up notices to Zardari in different matters and all those notices were assailed at different forums including at the IHC. 

The petition also mentioned that Zardari was suffering from several ailments and his earlier confinement had made his medical condition worse and he was currently under the special care of doctors who were monitoring his health. 

The counsel maintained that the petitioner filed the instant petition to safeguard himself against humiliation, harassment, illegal detention, arrest and lodging of false reference by the respondents on illegal, false, baseless, fabricated and concocted inquiry and investigation for obvious malafide reasons and ulterior motives. 

He argued that even otherwise, the said call-up notice under Section 19 of NAO, 1999 and questionnaire is without jurisdiction, illegal malafide, violative of provisions of the aforementioned Section of NAO, judgements of the Supreme Court of Pakistan as well as fundamental rights of the petitioner as guaranteed under the Constitution of Pakistan. 

He prayed to the court to grant Zardari bail before arrest till final conclusion of the trial and in the meanwhile interim bail before arrest may be granted. He also requested the court to declare the said call-up notice issued by the NAB as illegal, malafide and unconstitutional.