On Saturday, an accountability court in Islamabad recognized the presidential immunity of Asif Ali Zardari, head of state, in the Park Lane and Toshakhana cases, halting all legal proceedings against him.
Judge Nasir Javed Rana of the accountability court delivered a written verdict on Zardari’s petition. The court acknowledged his claim to immunity under Article 248 (2) of the Constitution, which protects the president from legal actions during his tenure.
The judgment noted that the prosecution did not object to Zardari’s request for immunity. Consequently, the court approved the plea and suspended the case proceedings until Zardari completed his term as president.
The Park Lane case involved allegations that Zardari misused his presidential authority from 2008 to 2013 to secure loans for his front companies. It was claimed that he fraudulently obtained Rs1.5 billion for Parthenon Private Limited, which he allegedly used for personal expenditures through fictitious bank accounts. This activity reportedly resulted in a Rs3.77 billion loss to the national treasury.
Furthermore, on April 22, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) reported to the court that President Zardari was entitled to presidential immunity in the Thatta water supply case, per Article 248 of the Constitution.
During proceedings, Zardari’s legal representative argued that the president’s immunity shields him from legal action. The court then requested NAB to present its arguments and postponed the hearing until the following day.
The Thatta water supply case involves accusations against the special initiative department for unlawfully granting a contract to a private contractor. In a related development in January 2023, an accountability court dismissed a corruption reference against Zardari following amendments to the NAB law.
