Asif Ali Zardari

Islamabad Nov. 22: Pakistan?s Supreme Court today granted bail to Asif Ali Zardari, the husband of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, in a move that could improve relations between President Pervez Musharraf and one of the country?s main parties.

The decision came ahead of anti-Musharraf protest rallies announced by the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) and the six-party Islamic opposition alliance, Muttahida Majlis-e-Ammal (MMA).

Information minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad welcomed the Supreme Court?s verdict, saying it will make the political atmosphere in the country more ?conducive?. However, he denied any understanding or a deal between the government and the Opposition on the issue and hoped the decision would improve the strained relations between the two sides.

Observers say the Supreme Court has bolstered its image as an independent entity by ordering the release of Zardari on bail in one of several graft cases.

Zardari, who had been convicted by a lower court for having evaded taxes on the import of a BMW car from Germany, had already been granted bail in almost all other cases.

However, the bail petition had been pending before the apex court since January. ?This is a big moral victory for me, my husband and our party ? Pakistan Peoples Party,? Bhutto said while commenting on Zardari?s release.

She said the party had been fighting against what she called ?politically motivated cases? against Zardari.

The apex court?s decision comes after ruling Pakistan Muslim League secretary general Mushahid Hussein Syed called for the release of all political prisoners including Zardari, Javed Hashmi and Yousaf Raza Gillani.

Hashmi, who was acting president of Nawaz Sharif?s Pakistan Muslim League is presently serving a 23-year jail term on sedition charges while Gillani was recently sentenced on charges of abuse of power as speaker of the National Assembly from 1993-96.

Zardari, who became the longest serving political prisoner after spending almost 98 months behind bars, had been under detention since November 4, 1996 when Benazir Bhutto?s government was dismissed on charges of corruption and abuse of power.

Bhutto had also been found guilty in early 1999 of having accepted graft and abused her authority in granting pre-shipment inspection licence to a Swiss firm for Pakistan-bound exports.

She had also petitioned the Supreme Court but left the country in April the same year for Dubai where she lives with her two daughters and son.

The former first couple have denied allegations that they have stashed money in Swiss accounts.