Arrest warrants issued for ex-Pak Prez in fake accounts case

Pakistan's National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has informed the Islamabad High Court (IHC) that arrest warrants for former President Asif Ali Zardari have been issued in connection with the fake bank accounts case.

The IHC, however, exempted Zardari from personal appearance in the case for medical reasons, Dawn news reported.

Reacting sharply to the issuance of arrest warrants a day before the first power show of the opposition parties, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari tweeted on Thursday: "On my way to Pakistan Democratic Movements first Jalsa in Punjab, I have received the news that NAB has issued arrest warrants for my father who has been admitted to hospital for the last few days.

"These tactics are not new for PPP and nothing will deter us now. Go selected."

Zardari is seeking a pre-arrest bail in the case related to suspicious transaction of 8.3 billion PKR from Bahria Town to fake accounts through a joint account of his assistant private secretary Mushtaq and Zain Malik.

The high court had on June 18, 2019 granted pre-arrest interim bail to Zardari in the case.

The bail has yet to be confirmed.

The court adjourned the hearing till November 5 and the pre-arrest interim bail of the former president has also been extended till that date.