ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan has delisted a case, filed by former president Asif Ali Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur for transfer of graft cases against them to Sindh from Islamabad, owing to the non-availability of a judge in the bench, it was learnt on Saturday.
The apex court had fixed the hearing for the case on May 25. However, the court has delisted the case due to the reason that a judge in the bench, Justice Umar Ata Bandial, is not available on the date.
The case was to be heard by a three-member special bench headed by Justice Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan and Justice Sajjad Ali Shah on May 25.
Both leaders of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) have reached out to the apex court to get their cases transferred to the province from Islamabad as the latter is facing a single reference against her while the former is facing trial in five NAB references.
The SC had issued notices for the hearing to the NAB and other respondents in the case.
On November 3, Zardari had approached the top court, requesting the court to transfer the graft cases filed against him by the NAB from Islamabad’s courts to similar courts in Karachi where he lives.
He had stated in his plea that he cannot appear in accountability courts in Islamabad due to his illness as he was suffering from various ailments and had been critically ill.
He had said the cases were being heard in Islamabad courts despite the fact that all the accused persons, witnesses and documents were from Karachi.
During a previous hearing, Asif Zardari’s lawyer Farooq H Naek had contended that it is his client’s right to file a plea for transfer of a case under the NAB law, which could not be taken away by the court through the verdict.
Justice Bandial had noted that the cases were filed in Islamabad by the NAB on the basis of various accusations. He had said the corruption watchdog filed the references in Islamabad on the court order.
