IHC grants bail to former president Asif Ali Zardari on medical grounds

ISLAMABAD: A special bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday granted bail to Pakistan Peoples Party Co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari on medical grounds in the Park Lane and mega money-laundering corruption cases.

The court ordered the former president to submit surety bonds worth Rs10 million in order to secure his bail. 

Last week, the IHC had admitted a bail plea filed by the former president seeking bail on medical grounds in the two cases initiated against him by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). In his bail plea, Zardari said he was suffering from a heart condition and diabetes.

Zardari had been arrested by NAB on June 10 after cancellation of his pre-arrest bail. In October, Zardari was transferred from judicial custody at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad after his health deteriorated.

During the hearing today, Zardari's counsel Farooq Naek submitted his client's medical reports to the court. IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Amir Farooq presided over the hearing.

Additional Prosecutor General Jahanzeb Bharwana and Deputy Prosecutor General Muzaffar Abbas were also present before the court on behalf of the NAB. Upon the directions of the IHC bench, NAB prosecutors read out the medical reports of Zardari to the courtroom. 

According to the medical report, the former president is suffering from several diseases, including a heart condition, and is admitted at PIMS to get the best possible treatment. The court was assured that Zardari had access to doctors of his choice for seeking medical advice and assistance.

However, the report also conceded that it was not possible to provide the former president with medical care in jail. Upon hearing this, the court asked the NAB whether it was necessary to keep Zardari in detention any longer, since the references against him had already been filed. 

NAB prosecutors told the court that there were some conditions under which Zardari's bail could be approved. After a few more inquiries, the court decided to grant bail to Zardari on medical grounds in the mega money laundering and Park Lane cases. 

Bilawal expresses relief after IHC decision

PPP chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, who is also the son of Zardari, expressed relief at the decision. 

"We are thankful to the judges for their fair assessment of the situation in which the former president finds himself," Bilawal told media personnel outside the courtroom in Islamabad after the decision was announced.