Ex-Pak prez Zardari, Bilawal appear before anti-graft body in corruption case

Pakistan's former president Asif Ali Zardari and his son Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Wednesday appeared before the anti-corruption body and recorded their statements in a graft case.

They appeared before the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) office here in connection with an alleged loan obtained by the Park Lane Estate Company, a Karachi-based real estate firm co-owned by Zardari and Bilawal, Dawn news reported.

The NAB has claimed in the case that a piece of land belonging to the Punjab forest department was illegally transferred to the company by some government officials.

The anti-corruption body launched an inquiry against the company and the officials.

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairperson Bilawal later addressed his party workers and media, saying it was PPP's "weakness" and "mistake" to not amend the NAB's "black law".

He, however, did not elaborate on the "black law".

"This was our mistake, this was our weakness that we did not change this black law which was introduced by a dictator," he said, referring to former military ruler Pervez Musharraf.

Bilawal said that the party will "wipe the Constitution" of every law that had been introduced by the "dictator".

There was tight security ahead of their arrival at the NAB office.

Some PPP workers clashed with the police, leading to a delay in their arrival at the NAB office.

The workers were asked by the party leadership to reach the capital in order to "express solidarity" with the chairperson.

Additional security personnel were also deployed to avoid any untoward incident.

Prior to Bilawal and Zardari's arrival, the roads leading to the NAB office were blocked.

Earlier, the two leaders met with their legal team at Zardari House.

On Tuesday, Zardari obtained a 10-day protective bail from the Sindh High Court.