Dismissing the plea that the stay be granted as the petitioners had approached Home secretary Jack Straw with a review petition to change his initial decision citing ``new evidences'', the Bow Street magistrate's court held the recording of evidence of eight London-based witnesses could go ahead even as Home secretary reviewed the defence plea.

Lawyers for Zardari and his business associate Javed Pasha, who runs an ethnic media empire here, had sought to block the recording of evidence, the go-ahead for which was given by the Home secretary on Pakistan government's request.

It is learnt that the evidence, pertaining to Zardari's purchase of massive Rockwood estate property in Surrey reportedly worth over four million poundsterling, of other properties in central London and his bank accounts in Britain, would be handed over to Pakistan authorities.

The magistrate also upheld the contention of the Pakistan government lawyers objecting to media coverage of the recording of evidence and said the proceedings would be conducted in-camera. According to the Pakistan government complaint to British authorities, the Ehtisab commissioner accused Benazir of allegedly being involved in massive corruption to the tune of 1.5 billion pound sterling, most of it believed to be stashed in London.

It was only when the Pakistan government specifically alleged that part of the ``stashed loot'' was made through drug deals that the British Home secretary gave the go-ahead for recording of evidence of Zardari and Benazir's business associated here.