ISLAMABAD: Former president Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday appeared before the accountability court of Islamabad in connection with Rs8.3 billion ‘suspicious’ transactions from the Bahria Town bank accounts to his aide’s bank account.

NAB has accused Mr Zardari of constructing his palatial house in Clifton with ill-gotten money. As per the reference, ex President’s aide Mushtaq Ahmed had provided Rs150 million for construction of the house.

The reference said that Mr Zardari could not provide proof of his claim that he had purchased the house through legal means.

According to the reference, an illegal transaction of Rs8.3bn was carried out via Mushtaq Ahmed’s bank account with the money paid by Bahria Town.

The accused, Mushtaq Ahmed, worked as a government employee in the President House from 2009 to 2013. He was recruited as a stenographer on the recommendation of Senator Rukhsana Bangash. A third accused in the case, Zain Malik — the son-in-law of Bahria Town’s owner Malik Riaz — has already signed a plea bargain deal with the NAB.

Later, Mr Zardari with the permission of the accountability judge left for National Assembly to attend the budget session.

Talking to the mediapersons in the Parliament House, he termed Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf regime as ‘borrowed’ government and claimed that it would fall.

He stressed the need that Pakistan should keep an eye on the situation in Afghanistan.

Published in Dawn, June 30th, 2021