ISLAMABAD - Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday extended 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. 

A division bench of IHC comprising Chief Justice of IHC Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Aamer Farooq conducted hearing of the case and extended pre-arrest bail to Zardari till August 24. 

The court also granted one-day exemption to former president from his personal appearance before the court due to his illness. 

The IHC bench in its order directed the NAB to submit its written response in the court in the matter and deferred the proceedings till August 24. 

The former president moved the court through his counsel Farooq H Naek and cited Chairman NAB, DG Rawalpindi and the investigation officer as respondents in this matter. His medical report from Ziauddin Hospital has also been attached with the plea. 

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. 

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