Zardari chairs crisis meet to fight court

Islamabad, Dec. 19: The Pakistan government continued to look shaky as the embattled President, Mr Asif Ali Zardari, joined heads with his close team in a crisis meeting while courts opened cases against several Cabinet members and politicians.

Only a day after the defence minister, Mr Ahmed Mukhtar, was stopped from boarding a plane to China for an official visit, a court on Saturday issued non-bailable warrant against the federal law minister, Mr Babar Awan.

Another court had issued an arrest warrant for the interior minister, Mr Rehman Malik, on Friday.

The Rawalpindi accountability court, however, revoked the arrest warrant after Mr Mukhtar presented himself in court and sought restoration of his bail in a kidnap-attempt case.

“The court has restored his bail after he submitted surety bonds worth Rs 1 lakh,” a court official said.

He is accused of trying to kidnap Iftikhar Adil, editor of a local Urdu newspaper. The case was withdrawn under the National Reconciliation Ordinance but the controversial decree was struck down by the Supreme Court on Wednesday.

Earlier, the Rawalpindi court issued non-bailable warrant for the arrest of federal law minister. A petition has also been filed in the top court against the indemnity to Mr Zardari under article 248 of the Constitution.