Fake accounts case: SHC approves 10-day protective bail of Zardari, Faryal

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Tuesday granted a 10-day protective bail to Pakistan Peoples Party president Asif Ali Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur but rejected their request to issue a stay order against a banking court's decision allowing the National Accountability Bureau to transfer the fake bank accounts case to Rawalpindi.

A two-member bench comprising SHC Chief Justice Ahmed Ali Sheikh and Justice Umar Sial heard a petition filed by Zardari and Faryal challenging the banking court’s ruling allowing NAB to transfer the fake accounts case to an accountability court in Rawalpindi.

Zardari's counsel, Farooq H Naek, maintained that the transfer of the case contradicted a Supreme Court verdict passed in January this year.

NAB had "misinterpreted" the apex court’s decision on the fake accounts case, Naek argued, pointing out that the top court had not ordered that the case be transferred to Rawalpindi.

The NAB chairman submitted the transfer request in the banking court after the Supreme Court had wrapped up the fake accounts case, the former president’s counsel told the bench.

Fake accounts case: SC dismisses all review petitions

Former president appealed for a larger SC bench to hear his review petition in the fake accounts case

Turning down Zardari’s request to issue a stay order against the banking court’s ruling, the SHC bench issued notices to the NAB prosecutor and director general of NAB Karachi office summoning a response from them within a week. The court further said a decision on the matter will be taken after listening to all parties in the case.

The SHC bench also dismissed Naek's request to summon the entire record of the case, and adjourned the hearing till March 26.