Noting that the press release discussed four reference, the PPP said that all four were concocted as part of the regime's efforts to create a mountain of cases to usurp the time and life of those who supported democracy and the rule of law to pave the way for tyranny.

BMW Case: With regard to the cases, it said that the BMW case is a concocted case of a second hand car imported by a person other than Mr. Zardari as admitted by the prosecution. Even if the car had been imported by Mr. Zardari, there is not a shred of evidence by which it could be sent to an accountability court. In cases of disputed duty, the car is seized and the duty is either paid or the car is sold. Public resources are being wasted on a persecution to keep the opposition under pressure through judicial abuse. It is a non case which was created to stop former federal minister Zardari being released on bail two years back.

The Assets Case is a case where disputed assets have been put at the door of Mr. Zardari and through him at the door of his wife. Using the disputed assets as a reason for a collateral purpose, the undisputed and owned assets of the couple have been frozen. The regime is trying to blackmail both former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and former federal minister to stop supporting democracy and peoples rights in the country or they will lose their owned and declared assets. Both of them are resisting because of devotion to the people of the country and their dedication to the cause of democracy.

The real owners of the disputed assets are being told to commit perjury or face losing their property through handpicked accountability courts. This is naked bribe and blackmail by the state apparatus. This is totalitarianism at its worst where neither democracy nor justice nor the rule of law is permitted to take root. In the presence of real owners of the assets concerned, there is no basis for the continuation of this case. The regime is wantonly abusing the national treasury by perjuring the course of justice and fabricating cases against its opponents. Meantime, those who join up with the regime are having their cases withdrawn. These include federal ministers Jehangir Tareen, Liaquat Jatoi, Mushahid Hussain, MQM and MMA leaders as well as AQ Khan who confessed to selling weapons of mass destruction.

ARY-Gold Case: to prevent black-marketing and to document the economy, the PPP government invited tenders and through a transparent process the ministry of commerce (and not the prime minister's secretariat) awarded contracts for the import of gold. After the overthrow of the PPP government, gold import awards were given in a non transparent manner. In fact this case has no merit in it and ironically it is the present regime which should be facing charges of abusing authority by giving gold contract in a non transparent manner. 

Swiss Case: The so called Swiss case is in fact a Pakistani case. It is predicated on a letter of request written by the NAB to the Swiss government wrongly claiming that the award of the contract to the SGS was illegal. If Islamabad writes a letter to the Swiss authorities withdrawing the letter of request and withdrawing as an injured party, the case would collapse tomorrow. Moreover, the regime has already withdrawn corruption charges against SGS. The case lacked evidence to the extent that the Judges were threatened to wrongly pass a sentence. That injustice was exposed through taped conversations leading to the setting aside of the sentence. Independent British Jurists opined that the award was made in a transparent manner and was of gain for the country.

The PPP said that the cases against the MQM, the MMA, Federal Ministers Jehangir Tareen and Liaquat Jatoi, A.Q. Khan and others were withdrawn which was clear proof that malicious prosecution was being indulged in for attaining political goals to eliminate democracy and the rule of law in Pakistan which was being resisted by the courageous leadership of Mohtarma, Zardari Sahib and the workers of the PPP.

Brief Cases List against Senator Asif Ali Zardari

Accountability References 

1.         Reference No. 14/2001 (Assets Reference), Pending before Accountability Court No. IV, Rawalpindi. 

2.         Reference No. 6/2000 (Polo Ground Reference), Pending before Accountability Court No. IV, Rawalpindi. Adjourned sine die by Court.  

3.         Reference No. 25/2000 (Ursus Tractors Reference), Pending before Accountability Court No. IV, Rawalpindi. Adjourned sine die by Court. 

4.         Reference No. 41/2001 (SGS Reference), Pending before Accountability Court No. II, Rawalpindi.  

5.         Reference No. 23/2000 (ARY Gold Reference), Pending before Accountability Court No. II, Rawalpindi. 

6.         Reference No. 35/2000 (Cotecna Reference) Pending before Accountability Court No. II, Rawalpindi. Adjourned sine die by Court. 

7.         Reference No. 59/2002 (BMW Car Reference), Pending before Accountability Court

No. III, Rawalpindi – Judge Mohammad Aslam. In the above Reference, Bail petition filed in February 2002 before Lahore High Court, Rawalpindi Bench was dismissed on 3^rd June 2003. No. cogent ground was given for dismissal. Appeal filed against the dismissal order is pending before Supreme Court of Pakistan since July 2003. 

In all the above References the petitioner Asif Ali Zardari has been shown to be not arrested --- Thus bail not applied for except in Polo Ground Reference which was withdrawn after the statement of Prosecutor General NAB that he has not been arrested and Lahore High Court, Rawalpindi Bench observed that he will not be arrested without permission of the Court. 

      8.         Ref No. 27/2000 (Steel Mill Case). In this Reference, Mr Zardari was convicted by Accountability Court No. Rawalpindi vide judgment dated 12-9-2002 for 7 years imprisonment and Rs 30 million penalty. Appeal filed against the said judgment in September 2002 before Lahore High Court, Rawalpindi Bench as well as in the Supreme Court of Pakistan. LHC Rawalpindi Bench announced its judgment reserved several months ago, on 9 September 2004, and set aside the conviction awarded by Accountability Court.

Criminal Cases

1. Mir Murtaza Murder Case - FIR 443/96, Case pending before Sessions judge

Karachi (East). Bail granted on 24-11-1998. Till date only 24 witnesses have been examined out of 200 mentioned by the Prosecution. Trial again started on 5^th July 2003 after a lapse of 2 ½ years.  

2. Nizam Murder Case – FIR No. 357/96 of Police Station Feroze Abad, Karachi –Pending before Sessions Judge Karachi Central – Bail granted on 12 March 1999.
    

3. Container Case – FIR No. 2/97 of FIA SBC Circle, Karachi – Pending before Special Judge Central, Karachi – Bail granted on 28-11-1998. Acquittal Appeal pending before Sindh High Court, Karachi.
    

4. Alam Baloch Murder Case – FIR No. 70/97 of Police Station Qasimabad, Hyderabad – Pending before Sessions Judge, Hyderabad for trial. – Bail granted on 11-12-1999. Trial not yet commenced.

5. Sajjad Hussain Murder Case : Police Stations Defence Karachi – Pending before Additional sessions Judge Karachi South. Mr Zardari was acquitted in this case by Sindh High Court on 12-8-2003.

6. & 7 :    Two Suicide Cases – FIR 65/99 and FIR 66/99 of Police Station Civil Lines Karachi – Bail granted on 26-2-2000 – Mr Zardari was acquitted by Judicial Magistrate Syeda Parveen Shah, Karachi on 9-7-2003. In FIR 65/99, Mr Zardari was acquitted on 30-7-2003.

8.    KESC Case – Karachi – Mr Zardari has been acquitted in this Case by Sindh High Court Karachi in 1998.