ISLAMABAD: Former president Asif Ali Zardari appeared on Thursday before an accountability court for the first time in a decade to face five corruption references filed against him 17 years ago.

The court appearance was in contrast to the reluctance shown by his predecessor retired Gen Pervez Musharraf over his high treason case.

Asif Zardari was accompanied by former prime ministers Yousuf Raza Gilani and Raja Pervez Ashraf, besides workers of the PPP.

It was expected that the court will indict Mr Zardari in the Polo Ground and SGS Cotecna pre-shipment inspection references, but the judge adjourned the hearing on the request of defence counsel Farooq Naek.

Mr Zardari left the court after 30 minutes.

Judge Mohammad Bashir acknowledged the presence of the former president and exempted him from appearing for the next hearing on Jan 18.

Mr Zardari’s lawyer filed an application under Section 265-K of the Pakistan Penal Code pleading that there would be no justification of any legal action against his client because he was a co-accused while the principal accused in all five references have been acquitted.

Clad in a black Chester coat and wearing a flat cap, the former president looked to be in high spirits, waving to his supporters outside the court building. The supporters chanted slogans like ‘Aik Zardari Sab Par Bhari’.

There was tight security along the six-kilometre route from Zardari House, in Sector F-8, to Margalla Road and around the court premises.

The former president was surrounded by his personal security guards when he alighted from his white Toyota Land Cruiser. His sports utility vehicle was parked inside the court building and he was escorted to a small court room on the first floor of the building.

His counsel Farooq Naek, Raza Rabbani, Aitzaz Ahsan and Latif Khosa accompanied him.

Talking to newsmen, Mr Naek said the court wanted to indict Mr Zardari in the Polo Ground and SGS Cotecna Pre-Shipment references, but he requested the judge not to do so and make his own opinion first after going through original documents of the case and the witnesses’ statements.

“I also informed the court that Mr Zardari is a co-accused in all five references and the principal accused have been acquitted. Therefore, he should also be acquitted under Section 265-K of the PPC.”

Some of the cases were also heard by a Swiss court, but they have been closed after becoming time-barred.

Mr Zardari last appeared in the court in 2004, got bail and went abroad.

The counsel said the National Accountability Bureau had failed to give any evidence against his client since 1997 when Nawaz Sharif was prime minister.

Asked if the former president will appear before the court again, Mr Naek said: “Zardari Sahib is a brave man and he will come to the court whenever he is called.”

In reply to a question about the location of the court, the counsel said the judge had assured that the court was being shifted to the newly constructed Judicial Complex in Sector G-11/1.