Pakistan's anti-graft body, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), arrested former President Asif Ali Zardari here on Monday in a money laundering case, local media reported.

According to the reports, the former president was arrested from his house after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) rejected his request to give him a permanent bail and allowed NAB to arrest him for further interrogation.

The court's decision came after NAB officials presented evidence to prove Zardari guilty, the reports said.

Zardari along with his sister appeared before the court on Monday morning, but they left the courtroom before the verdict was announced.

Zardari, leader of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and husband of former late Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, is a member of the National Assembly, the lower house of the country's parliament.

NAB reportedly sought permission from the Speaker of the National Assembly before arresting the former president.

Earlier in May, NAB Chairman Javed Iqbal gave approval for the issuance of the arrest warrant of Zardari, but the anti-graft body had to wait for the decision from the court. The arrest order was issued after Zardari refused three times to appear before the bureau to answer the questions about the case. Enditem