Court rejects Zardari, Talpur's request for 'A' class facilities in jail
Islamabad [Pakistan], Aug 21 (ANI): An accountability court here on Tuesday rejected a request filed by former president Asif Ali Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur, seeking A-class and extra facilities in prison during judicial remand in fake accounts cases.
ANI
Aug 21, 2019 06:09 IST
Islamabad [Pakistan], Aug 21 (ANI): An accountability court here on Tuesday rejected a request filed by former president Asif Ali Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur, seeking A-class and extra facilities in prison during judicial remand in fake accounts cases.
National Accountability Bureau (NAB)'s Deputy Prosecutor General (DPG) Sardar Muzafar Abbasi pleaded before the court that the petitions, submitted last Friday, were not maintainable as the accused should approach Inspector General (IG) Prisons, Punjab -- a relevant forum for their requests, The News International reported.
Abbasi added that the government had removed the rule of A and B classes in prisons and had replaced it with 'better class'.
However, one had to request IG Prisons to get this facility, who was bound to refer the matter to the Home Department for a decision, he said.
Abbasi informed the court that the prisoners of 'better class' were also provided facilities like any common prisoner but they could avail the extra facilities, such as airconditioning, television, radio, Ipad/Ipod, refrigerator, and others, at their own expenditures.
Earlier, Zardari's counsel Sardar Latif Khosa contended before AC-I Judge Muhammad Bashir that since his client held the president's office and currently he was a member of the Parliament, the Constitution allowed him extra facilities for a lifetime.
The former president was suffering from cardiac problems and the court had also allowed him to keep an attendant while being under the custody of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), he argued.
Zardari was first arrested by the NAB in June, this year, after the Islamabad High Court recalled the pre-arrest bail granted to him and his sister in the fake accounts case worth Rs 4.4 billion.
Zardari and his sister have denied any links with the fake accounts. The two have the option of appealing the order in the Supreme Court.
The case pertains to suspicious transactions worth Rs 4.4 billion allegedly carried out through a fictitious bank account. (ANI)