Court rejects Zardari lawyer’s plea

Islamabad: An accountability court in Islamabad on Monday turned down a plea by former president and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari’s lawyer seeking permission to meet his client inside jail on another day instead of the fixed day for meetings.

The court had earlier ruled that the PPP leader, who is in the judicial custody in Adiala jail, can meet his children and close relatives on Monday.

Advocate Chaudhry Riaz contended before the court that Farooq H Naeq couldn’t meet the former president on Monday owing to his personal engagements. He pleaded the court to permit him to meet the PPP leader on another day instead.

Accountability Judge Muhammad Bashir, rejecting the request, directed the lawyer to hold a meeting with the PPP leader on the fixed day for meetings.

Previously, the court had rejected an application seeking meetings of Zardari with his relatives twice a week. The judge ruled that the PPP leader can meet his children and close relatives on Monday.

The court, however, fixed Saturday as the day for meeting with the former president’s sister Faryal Talpur.