Lahore court hears plea to bar Zardari, Nawaz

LAHORE - The Lahore High Court Monday issued notices on a petition that has sought a bar on President Asif Ali Zardari, former president Farooq Leghari, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and 19 others from holding public office for transferring their assets to foreign countries.

Issuing the notices to the attorney general and the advocate general, a division bench of Justice Ejaz Ahmad Chaudhry and Justice Najm-ul Hassan asked them to reply by January 21, 2010, Online news agency reported.

Barrister Javed Iqbal Jaffri said in his petition that he had filed a similar plea in 1997, stating that the 22 politicians, including slain former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, had transferred their assets of billions of rupees to foreign countries and these should be brought back to Pakistan.

The petition was transferred to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in 2000 but no action was taken, Jaffri pointed out.