Former Pak president Zardari gets bail on medical grounds

The Islamabad high court on Wednesday (December 11) granted bail to former Pakistani president Asif Ali Zardari on medical grounds, in connection with two cases of corruption.

The 64-year-old who was arrested in June, approached the court on December 3, seeking bail in two money laundering cases filed against him by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

A two-judge bench of the Islamabad High Court also directed Zardari, chairperson of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), to submit surety bonds worth ₹10 million each in the two cases, The Express Tribune reported.

Also read: Pak’s former prez Asif Ali Zardari seeks bail on medical grounds in corruption cases

The court had on December 4 constituted a medical board to examine Zardari’s health condition and directed it to submit its report. According to Geo TV, Zardari, in his bail plea, had claimed that he was suffering from a heart condition and diabetes. Last month, Zardari was transferred from Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad after his health deteriorated, the report said.

The petition also states that Zardari suffers from arthritis with a low platelet count, and all these illnesses cannot be treated within the premises of the jail, The Express Tribune reported. The petitioner’s condition makes it evident that his continued incarceration would prove detrimental to his life, it said.