ISLAMABAD - An Accountability Court (AC) on Thursday granted one-day exemption from hearing to former president Asif Ali Zardari and other accused in toshakhana corruption reference. AC-III Judge Syed Asghar Ali conducted hearing on the case pertaining to toshakhana filed by National Accountability Bureau (NAB). Former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani appeared before the court during hearing. However, Asif Ali Zardari, Omni Group’s head Anwar Majeed and AbdulGhani Majeed filed exemption from hearing request which was accepted by the court. At the outset of hearing, the associate defense lawyer informed the court that senior counsel Farouk H. Naek was busy in elections of Supreme Court Bar Association and prayed it to adjourn the case till next date.  However, NAB’s Deputy Prosecutor General Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi opposed the request stating that the accused had been using delay tactics to waste the court time. The witness’s father had suffered from heart attack but he still appeared before the court, he said. He prayed the court to issue arrest warrants against the accused over non appearance and precede the trial. He also requested the court to conduct daily basis hearing into the matter. The court observed that it had given this date on the request of Naek in previous proceeding, adding that the court would issue arrest warrants against the accused if they failed to appear on next date November 2.