PTI leader Ali Zaidi has been handed over to the police for three days of questioning in a property case dating to 2013.
The court in Karachi announced its verdict on Monday on petitions seeking his acquittal from the defence and one for physical remand from the prosecution.
At the outset of the hearing, The judge ordered the police to take off his handcuffs.
His lawyer said that Ali Zaidi was a member of the National Assembly and a former minister. He used to work in real estate before becoming a politician. This was a case for a civil and not a criminal court. No bank check was presented by the plaintiff.
The lawyer said that no documents related to the plaintiff’s property have been presented in court. He said that the plaintiff in the case has not submitted any applications since 2013.
Ali Zaidi said that the case should be closed and that he would cooperate with the investigation whenever he were called in for questioning. “I do not know this man nor have we ever met,” he said, referring to the plaintiff.
He said that he was aboard on the day the event took place according to the plaintiff’s application. He presented the record of being abroad in court.
The plaintiff’s lawyer, Kamran Baloch, said that there were no transactions for Zaidi’s real estate work when he was abroad. He asked if this meant the real estate business was closed during this time.
The plaintiff’s lawyer said that the plaintiff’s entire business and house has been destroyed, and a police investigation will reveal all these details.
The police arrested PTI leader, Ali Zaidi, from PTI Sindh House on April 15.
The police wanted to seize his mobile phones. They took away phones from other PTI leaders who were at PTI Sindh House to see Zaidi, a PTI Sindh spokesperson told Aaj News.
PTI’s Dr Iftikhar Durrani tweeted videos showing Zaidi being bundled into a white SUV, with police flashlights mounted on its roof. Zaidi was picked up by unidentified and identified people, he said.