ISLAMABAD (DNA) – Former president and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday excused himself from appearing before the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Rawalpindi on the pretext of busy schedule in the ongoing investigation into the fake bank accounts case. Meanwhile, the former president wrote a letter to the NAB, stating that he could not appear today due to busy schedule, and asked it to manage another date for him. The bureau had summoned him in an inquiry pertaining to illegal allotment of land by Sindh government and misuse of powers. On May 15, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) granted him and his sibling Faryal Talpur in all of the cases against them. The high court granted Zardari interim bail in the money laundering case until May 29. Earlier on May 9, the NAB had summoned him to record his statement in the same case; however he excused himself from appearing before the Combined Investigation Team (CIT) of the NAB Rawalpindi, seeking another date on the grounds that he was scheduled to appear before the Accountability Court on the same day. The NAB has already filed references in money laundering through fake bank accounts, Pink Residency and illegal award of water supply schemes against him. On April 13, Zardari had submitted his written response to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Rawalpindi on 54 questions in connection with three cases against him, including Park Lane Estate, Pink Residency, and fake accounts and money laundering. Earlier, the case was being heard in a banking court in Karachi but had been shifted to an accountability court in Islamabad upon an appeal by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).