ISLAMABAD: A day after the Supreme Court gave nod to accountability courts to continue proceedings on corruption references, Islamabad’s accountability court on Wednesday summoned former president and PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari and Ijaz Ahmed Khan, a former secretary to the Sindh government, in the Thatta water supply case.

The case was among dozens of references transferred from accountability courts because of the amendments made in the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) by the PDM coalition government headed by then-prime minister Shehbaz Sharif. These amendments were struck down by the Supreme Court on September 15.

Besides Mr Zardari and Ijaz Khan, accountability court judge Mohammad Bashir also asked Hassan Ally Memon, who headed the committee responsible for procurements related to the water supply scheme, Omni Group CEO Khawaja Abdul Ghani Majeed, Menahel Majeed and nine others to appear before him on Dec 15.

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The reference alleged that the accused had illegally awarded different contracts to private contractors.

Earlier this year, the accountability court had closed the proceedings in this case since its jurisdiction was curtailed due to the amended NAB ordinance and sent this reference back to the bureau.

The court directed NAB to send the reference to the forum concerned.

Published in Dawn, November 2nd, 2023