Benazir Bhutto’s Husband Freed
A Pakistan anti-terrorist court Saturday freed Asif Ali Zardari, husband of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, after more than two years in jail without a conviction.
“It is the people’s victory,” a delighted Zardari said in an interview. “It shows the cases against me were cooked up. There is no truth in the charges.”
“Long live Zardari,” chanted about 500 supporters who danced, applauded and tossed garlands of red roses when Zardari walked out of the hospital where he has been treated for pain in the joints and flashed “V” for victory signs toward the crowd.
Pakistan’s most prominent political prisoner said he hoped to go to London to see his wife, the former prime minister, who gave birth to their third child, a daughter, on Wednesday.
The Karachi anti-terrorist court granted bail to Zardari on the last of 12 charges filed against him for alleged corruption during the 20 months when Bhutto was prime minister.
Zardari has been acquitted on nine of the charges, including murder, and granted bail on two. His bail for the last charge, extortion, is $19,000 and the same amount in personal bonds, said his lawyer, Raja Qureshi.
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