Pakistan Supreme Court grants Bail to Zardari in BMW Case
By Raheel Junejo in Karachi and Atta-ul-Mohsin Syed in Islamabad - Pakistan Times Staff Correspondents

KARACHI/ISLAMABAD: Asif Ali Zardari, husband of Pakistan's ex-Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who was granted bail by the Supreme Court was released and taken to Bilawal House by the jubilant PPP workers and the leaders Monday night.

Asif Zardari, who spent almost 8 years in jail as under-trial prisoner, was currently staying at Ziauddin Hospital in Karachi for treatment.

As soon as the news spread for his release on bail, PPP leaders, workers, and supporters started gathering at Bilawal House as well as Ziauddin Hospital to congratulate him.

The provincial government had however taken preventive measures to avoid any untoward incident due to growing crowd outside the hospital as well as the Bilawal House in Clifton area.

The Bail

Earlier, a three-member bench of the Supreme Court Monday granted bail to Asif Ali Zardari in BMW reference regarding tax/duty evasion.

The Bench in its short order asked the counsels of the petitioner to deposit surety bonds of Rs.10,00,000 (Rupees one million).

The three-member bench comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Nazim Hussain Siddiqui, Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar and Justice Mian Shakirullah Jan heard arguments of both the parties, the petitioner and the respondent.

Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan Advocate, Dr. Babar Awan Advocate and Farooq H.Niak Advocate appeared before the court on behalf of the petitioner Asif Ali Zardari. Ibrahim Satti Advocate represented the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) before the court.

Wasi Zafar

Federal Minister For Law Wasi Zafar has said that courts in Pakistan are free and independent.

He made these remarks on Monday while reacting to the grant of bail to Zardari by Supreme Court in BMW case. “The court orders would be honoured duly”, he added.

Sheikh Rashid Ahmed

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Sheikh Rashid Ahmed hoped that bail granted to Asif Ali Zardari will go a long way in strengthening the political institutions in the country.

In his reaction, Rashid said, he (Asif Zardari) will be released after fulfilling the legal requirements. “We respect the verdict of the Apex court and he will be released as soon as he fulfills legal requirements,” he added.

He hoped that Zardari after his release would play a positive and healthy role in strengthening the political institutions.

The Minister said there was no substance in the allegations that Asif Ali Zardari was politically victimized.

The people better know and could be better judge to decide whether there was any political victimization of Asif Ali Zardari or otherwise.

“We cannot call it a deal but it is a happy augury,” he said when asked whether his release was an outcome of a deal reached between the government and PPP.

Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed

Secretary General Pakistan Muslim League, Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed Monday commenting on the decision of Supreme Court to grant bail to Asif Ali Zardari, said contrary to the claims of opposition, judiciary in Pakistan is independent and takes decisions on merit.

Senator Mushahid Hussain said the decision to grant bail to Asif Ali Zardari, husband of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, showed that there is vibrant democracy in Pakistan where all the institutions including Supreme Court are functioning freely.

The PML Secretary General said, “We hope that opposition will now renounce politics of negativism, confrontation and polarization and they should be partner in our quest to build a strong democratic Pakistan.”

Benazir Bhutto Reax

Welcoming the decision of Supreme Court of Pakistan former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto said that the bail granted to Asif Ali Zardari would have positive effect on political situation of the country.

In an interview with a television channel on Monday, Benazir Bhutto expressed her optimism that after the release government will not create impediments in the personal and political life of Asif Ali Zardari.

“After eight long years Asif has finally been released and in all these years the main sufferers were our children. We thank Almighty Allah for this blessing,” She added.

She dispelled the notion that the bail of Asif Ali Zardari was a result of a deal between government and Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians. “This is a proof of his innocence and today is day when democratic forces have scored a victory against dictatorship,” she added.

Rally in support of Zardari

And in Karachi, the PPP Karachi Division took out a rally on Monday to celebrate the grant of bail to Asif Ali Zardari by the Supreme Court in Islamabad in BMW reference regarding tax/duty evasion.

A PPP Karachi Division statement said that the rally began from the Peoples Secretariat and ended at the mazar of Abdullah Shah Ghazi. The president of PPP Karachi Division, Rashid Hussain Rabbani, led the rally.

Participants of the rally chanted slogans in support of Asif Ali Zardari and PPP chairperson Ms Benazir Bhutto. They also distributed sweets among the people at various points on the route of the rally.●