ISLAMABAD: Former president Asif Ali Zardari has decided to appear before the Accountability Court Islamabad on Jan 9 to face five references filed against him 17 years ago, according to sources in the PPP. They told Dawn on Tuesday that Mr Zardari’s lawyer and former law minister Farooq H. Naek had written letters to Secretary Interior Shahid Khan and Inspector General of Islamabad Police Sikandar Hayat seeking adequate security for the former president during hearing of the references. He demanded a bullet-proof vehicle and a bomb disposal squad for his client.

It is expected that the high drama going on in the country because of the hospitalisation of former president retired Gen Pervez Musharraf and his trial in the high treason case will subside when Mr Zardari will appear before the accountability court for the first time after completing his presidential tenure on Sept 8.

Talking to Dawn, Mr Zardari’s spokesperson Farhatullah Babar declined to confirm or deny that the former president would appear before the accountability court on Thursday.

But, he said that Mr Zardari’s lawyers had appeared before the court and if the court would seek personal appearance of Mr Zardari he would attend the court’s proceedings.

References against Mr Zardari were made by Ehtesab Bureau — the previous version of National Accountability Bureau — which pursued these cases in 1997 when Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif headed the government.

Mr Naek told this correspondent that it would be Mr Zardari’s decision whether or not to appear before the court. However, he said that there would be security threats for the former president, especially when he would go to the court on Thursday.

During the previous hearing, Accountability Court Judge Mohammad Bashir had asked Mr Naek to write to the government to make necessary security arrangements for Mr Zardari.

“I have written separate letters to secretary interior and the IG Islamabad and asked them to arrange foolproof security for Mr Zardari on the hearing day,” Mr Naek said. He said the interior ministry had not responded to his letters. “I had informed the court about the non-cooperation of the interior ministry and the court had exempted Mr Zardari from personal appearance.”

An inside source said that Mr Zardari was due to arrive in Islamabad from Karachi on Wednesday.