Asif Ali Zardari wants Benazir Bhutto's jewellery seized by Swiss authorities

ISLAMABAD: Fifteen years after the Swiss authorities seized slain former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's $300,000 worth jewellery in connection with a graft case, her husband and ex-President Asif Ali Zardari wants them back.

The PPP leader has applied for the return of the jewellery through an offshore company.

The government of Pakistan has been informed by its lawyer in Switzerland about Zardari's latest move, Geo News reported today.

The ornaments worth over $300,000 were seized in 1997 during the course of investigation of SGS and Cotecna scandal. The case files were closed after promulgation of National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) in 2008 but the fate of the jewellery was yet to be decided.

The lawyer has sought guidance of the government so that he could submit reply with the Swiss attorney who sought Islamabad's response within 10 days, the report said.

Barrister Munawar Akhtar, a lawyer from a Pakistani law firm, said that Pakistan government should oppose this application by the former President within 48 hours as it could be deprived from the ornaments this time around.

Federal Law Secretary Raza Khan said he had no information about the letter since he was on a foreign tour.