ISLAMABAD: Accountability court on Wednesday has decided to indict Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairman and former president Asif Ali Zardari in Thatta water supply reference via video link on August 4.

The move came after Zardari has excused from attending the hearing due to coronavirus outbreak.

Moreover, the court has also summoned all the accused on the same day for further proceedings.

Earlier today, lawyer of Asif Ali Zardari, Farooq H Naek had requested acquittal of his client ahead of indictment in Park Lane reference.

During the hearing of the case, counsel of Asif Ali Zardari said that court should understand whether National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has acted according to the law as the bureau cannot file suo moto reference against loan transactions.

In December 2019, former president Asif Ali Zardari was released on medical grounds after an accountability court in Islamabad issued separate robkars [mandamuses] in the Park Lane Estate Company and the money laundering through fake bank accounts cases against him.

The charges in the latest case centre around allegations Zardari laundered vast sums of money through suspect bank accounts and companies.

NAB is conducting investigations in pursuance of the Supreme Court’s verdict in the money laundering of billions through fake accounts case wherein it forwarded the joint investigation team (JIT) report with directions to investigate and file references.

Zardari has repeatedly dismissed allegations he had a hand in the scheme. Never popular and always shrouded in controversy, Zardari -- who was once jailed for 11 years for corruption -- stepped down from the president s office in 2013. But he has continued to serve as co-chairman of the opposition PPP.—INP