NAB challenges in LHC Zardari’s acquittal in corruption case
Published September 09, 2017
LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau challenged on Saturday an accountability court’s decision to give a clean chit to former president Asif Ali Zardari regarding his assets.
The NAB appealed to the Lahore High Court against the accountability court’s August 26 verdict, acquitting former president Asif Ali Zardari in a reference pertaining to corruption.
The NAB in its plea stated that it has 22,000 verified documents as evidence against the former president, which are related to offshore companies, Surrey palace, and bank accounts.
For pursuing the case, the NAB constituted a team to present the case before the Rawalpindi bench of the LHC.
The NAB said that Zardari was acquitted after listening to incomplete details of the case, which set a bad example. The petition further stated that crucial witnesses were ignored in the case proceedings.
The NAB said that the LHC can summon further records to fully investigate and pleaded the high court to decide the case upon merit.
PPP leader Saeed Ghani in a strong reaction to the NAB’s move, said that Zardari faced false charges till 27 years.
The PPP co-chairman faced accountability in two tenures of Nawaz Sharif and also during the rule of Pervez Musharraf.
“The NAB is doing this to save itself from embarrassment,” said Ghani.
Earlier, Justice Khalid Mehmood Ranjha, of accountability court no 1, had accepted the documents requesting acquittal of the PPP co-chairperson. The court order had stated that the reference filed by the NAB has no legal standing.
Zardari’s lawyer Farooq Hamid Naek spoke to Geo News following the decision regarding acquittal. He had said that Zardari was acquitted in eight corruption references. Six cases were filed during Nawaz's tenure while two were filed during Pervez Musharraf’s tenure, he stated.
After the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) was passed, all references against Zardari had ceased to exist. Once the NRO was revoked, Zardari had immunity as the president of Pakistan.
Another trial then commenced against Zardari when his presidential immunity ended.
