Court gives clean chit to Zardari in corruption case

RAWALPINDI: An accountability court acquitted former president Asif Ali Zardari in a reference pertaining to his assets on Saturday.

Justice Khalid Mehmood Ranjha, of accountability court no 1, accepted the documents requesting acquittal of the Pakistan Peoples Party co-chairperson.

The reference filed by National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has no legal standing, stated the court order.

After the verdict, Zardari’s lawyer Farooq Hamid Naek, while speaking to Geo News, explained that the reference against his client was filed in 1998 under sections of Accountability Act 1997. 

He added said that the reference alleged that Zardari had created illegal assets. 

Naek further said the reference against the former president was filed by former NAB chairman Saif-ur-Rehman on Nawaz Sharif’s request and added that the accountability body failed to provide any evidence in the case.

“NAB’s investigating officer accepted that Asif Ali Zardari had no share in the sugar mills,”  Zardari’s legal counsel said.

Naek added Zardari has been acquitted in eight corruption references. Six cases were filed during Nawaz's tenure while two were filed during Pervez Musharraf’s tenure. 

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 Once the NRO was revoked, Zardari had immunity as the president of Pakistan.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.