ISLAMABAD   -  Accountability court in Islamabad on Monday summoned former president Asif Ali Zardari in person on next date of hearing in a corruption reference of fake bank accounts filed by the National Accountability Bureau. 

Judge Accountability Court Syed Asghar Ali heard the case in which NAB prosecutor Waseem Javed appeared before the court while nobody on behalf of accused persons was present in the court.

The judge ordered to summon former president Asif Ali Zardari and a co-accused in the case Mushtaq Ahmed on next date of hearing in person. The court on next date of hearing would provide the copies of the references to accused persons and also announce a date to frame charges in the case against them. 

Meanwhile, the same court also postponed the proceedings upon an application against an earlier decision of the court regarding attachment of a house at Clifton, Karachi owned by the former president. 

The court proceedings in the case were adjourned till June 29, 2021. 

In April this year, NAB had filed a corruption reference against former president and others on allegations of over Rs8 billion corruption in fake bank accounts scandal before Accountability Court Islamabad.

As per the finding of investigation, accused Mushtaq Ahmed has been made as joint account holder in order to protect the interests of accused Asif Ali Zardari and to hide the actual beneficiary of the illegal amounts being transacted into the joint account.

Mushtaq Ahmed remained a government employee on contract from 2009 till 2013 in the President House. The colossal amount of Rs8.3 billion paid into the joint account of Mushtaq Ahmed and Zain Malik beyond any legal consideration.

Meanwhile, the court linked an application filed by the former president against the orders to confiscate his Clifton residence in March 2020. The court stated that the application would be taken up along with the aforementioned reference.