News
Zardari to be arrested shortly in United States: Sh. Rashid
NEW YORK Mar 15 : Asif Ali Zardari will be in Pakistani jail soon, said Information and Broadcasting Minister Shaikh Rashid Ahmed.He will be in jail shortly within 5 to 7 days, confirmed the Minister.
In a short meeting with the scribe, at hotel Roosevelt replying to the rumors spread in New York that Rashid's New York visit is not only to sign a Memorandum of Understanding for Pakistan Television but actually he is going to meet Zardari to concur a Government deal.
Rashid laughed and said, Who Zardari, he is no more, he is nobody. He said you will see he is in jail shortly within five to seven days.
It may be pointed out that United States and Government of Pakistan have the extradition treaty under which any criminal can be arrested by any of the country and hand it over to him/her to the other country. Like two years before former Naval chief was arrested from Texas and boarded on a flight to Pakistan.
A diplomat accompanying Rashid however said that the arrest of Naval Chief Mansur ul Haq by United States was a different story. He said Zardari is a politician and the United States government might confer him benefit of doubt , thus he will not be arrested.
Apart from other cases Zardari was declared a proclaimed offender in the BMW case and orders were issued to confiscate his property in Hyderabad, Nawabshah and Sanghar.
The confiscated property includes 98 acres and five marlas of agricultural land in Preetamabad, Sanghar; two acres in Nawabshah; nine acres and 14 marlas in Deh Rohuki; 39 acres and 15 marlas in Deh Deliwadi, and a plot in the Nawabshah Cooperative Housing Society.
Zardari was charged with importing a bulletproof BMW vehicle when his wife, Benazir Bhutto, was prime minister. The prosecution accused Zardari of impersonation by importing the 1993-model armored luxury vehicle in the name of a student to evade duties.When arrested for the first time following the dismissal of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) government in August 1990, he told reporters that in the foreseeable future he saw himself either in jail or in the prime minister's house.
That was exactly how it turned out to be quipped Zardari.
Whisked out of jail to be made a member of the federal cabinet in early 1993, he spent just under three years in the PM's house before being carted back to prison when the PPP's government was dismissed for the second time in October 1996.
The 50-year-old PPP leader, was arrested on November 5, 1996. Zardari, was initially detained under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO), was first arrested in the Mir Murtaza Bhutto murder case in November 1996, after the high court set aside his detention under MPO.
Later, he was charge-sheeted in the container case, Justice Nizam murder case, attempt to commit suicide case, Alam Baloch murder case, SGC reference, ARY Gold reference, tractor reference, Sajjad Ali murder case, Polo Ground reference and BMW reference.
Out of the 17 cases, Zardari was acquitted in four and one of the cases was quashed. He was granted bail in rest of the cases before he was set free. Zardari, was acquitted in two cases of attempt of suicide and in the Sajjad Hussain Shah murder case.
Zardari met his family , wife and children in Dubai after eight years of imprisonment