Asif Zardari granted full exemption in assets reference case

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ISLAMABAD: Former president and co-chairman of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Asif Ali Zardari has been granted full exemption in hearing of assets reference case by an anti corruption court of Rawalpindi.

After  two continuous absence in the court on Thursday (today) the former president appeared before the court and it was his very first presence in the court after the initiation of the case.

The court adjourned the hearing till June 2 and also summoned five witnesses in next hearing.

For the former president hearing strict security measures were taken as it was demanded by his counsel Farooq Naik in last hearing.

The assets reference was reopened after the expiry of presidential reference for Zardari on September 8, 2013.

The case was initiated against Zardari and Benazir Bhutto in 2001 but its hearing was adjourned indefinitely in 2010.

According to allegations, Zardari illegally made assets in 1990s when his wife Benazir Bhutto was the Prime Minister and he deposited the money from kickbacks in different Swiss banks.

Bhutto s name was removed as co-accused after her murder in a terrorist attack in 2007.