NAB to challenge Zardari’s acquittal in corruption case: sources

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) will be challenging the acquittal by an accountability court of Pakistan Peoples Party supremo Asif Ali Zardari in a corruption case.

Sources informed on Monday that the NAB has decided to file an appeal in the Lahore High Court against the Rawalpindi accountability court’s decision to acquit Zardari in a case related to the illegal accumulation of assets.

Sources added that the NAB’s prosecution branch is working on drafting the appeal.

On Saturday, Justice Khalid Mehmood Ranjha of accountability court I, accepted Zardari’s plea for acquittal, observing that the NAB reference against him has no legal standing.

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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.

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

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 Once the NRO was revoked, Zardari had immunity as the president of Pakistan.

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Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan on Sunday expressed lack of trust in NAB after Zardari’s acquittal.

“We can’t trust NAB’s execution after Zardari's acquittal. He has billions of rupees abroad.”

There is a reason why a Supreme Court judge is looking after NAB’s trial of former premier Nawaz Sharif, Khan said, adding that had the [Panamagate] Joint Investigation Team not been under Supreme Court then Nawaz would have been acquitted.