RAWALPINDI—A local accountability court on Tuesday cancelled the bail of Pakistan People’s Party central leader Asif Ali Zardari in BMW reference and issued a notice to declare him fugitive.
In its notice, the court, headed by Sagheer Ahmad Qadri, also ordered the seizure of the surety bonds worth Rs. one million submitted by Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, the guarantor of Asif Zardari, due to continued absence of his guarantee from the court. Zardari’s counsel Farooq H Naik, earlier, produced medical certificate about the illness of PPP leader, who is out of the country for angioplasty. They said Zardari would appear before the court soon after he returned home. However, the court did not subscribed to the argument and cancelled Zardari’s bail. The court would now hear the case on October 8. An Accountability Court, taking notice of continued absence of accused Asif Ali zardari, canceled his bail here on Tuesday.
The judge AC. No. 3 Saghir Ahmed Qadri, who is hearing the BMW corruption reference, also ordered for initiating of proceedings to declare the accused a proclaimed offender. The judge also issued a notice to Zardari’s guarantor Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, MNA, as to why his surety bonds worth Rs. one million should not be forfeited. The case was adjourned till October 8. The court had granted bail to Asif Ali Zardari on the direction of the Supreme Court. Zardari is now abroad for medical treatment. Accountability Court-III, Rawalpindi on Tuesday forfeited bail bonds and issued notice of forfeiture to Asif Ali Zardari Surety (Raja Pervaiz Ashraf) in BMW case as to why this amount should not be confiscated. The court also issued proclamation against the accused Asif Ali Zardari, for proceedings under Sections 87-88 of CrPC, whereby “If any Court is satisfied after taking evidence that any person against whom a warrant has been issued by its has absconded or is concealing himself so that such warrant cannot be executed, such Court may publish a written proclamation requiring him to appear at a specified place and at a specified time not less than thirty days from the date of publishing such proclamation”.—APP