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Monday, Feb 17, 2025


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Pakistan News

    Title: NAB to withdraw four appeals against Zardari's acquittal
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    NAB To Withdraw Four Appeals Against Zardaris Acquittal 24147
    Description: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) filed on Wednesday miscellaneous applications to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to withdraw its four appeals against the acquittal of former president Asif Ali Zardari in 25-year-old references. The NAB adopted the stance that further prosecution into the appeals would be ineffective practice. Even the copies of the documents in the cases were hardly available, it said, adding that the available documented proof was not sufficient as per law. It prayed the court to grant approval to the anti-graft watchdog to withdraw the appeals against the acquittal of the PPP’s co-chairman and former president. It may be mentioned here that the Accountability Court (AC) had acquitted Zardari in 2015 in four references comprising Ursus Tractors, ARY Gold, Polo Ground and SGS Cotecna. NAB had challenged the acquittal before the high court. Also read: NAB law tweaks leave courts bereft of jurisdiction Last month, the Islamabad High Court had given the anti-graft body up till October 20 to review the cases against Zardari's acquittal in the 25-year-old cases under the new law. A two-judge bench headed by IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah conducted the hearing. NAB told the court that its prosecutor general would decide the future of the cases in a week. Giving respite to NAB, the court adjourned the proceedings until October 20. Besides, NAB had sought the opinion of the law ministry on the old cases. However, the ministry declined to comment and asked NAB to decide on its own. Also read: NAB to review old cases against Zardari under amended law The IHC also adjourned the hearing on a petition challenging the admissibility of Park Lane graft reference against former president Zardari. The case was adjourned without further proceeding because of the absence of the petitioner's lawyer. Associate lawyer Asad Abbasi requested the court to adjourn the case till the next date. At this, the hearing of the case was adjourned till October 27. The former president had challenged the Park Lane corruption reference on the basis of the fresh amendments to the NAB law. The accountability court had already dismissed the petition of the former president. In January this year, an accountability court in Islamabad granted bail to the PPP co-chairperson on medical grounds in the New York property case. Judge Muhammad Bashir presided over the hearing against the former president and issued a detailed verdict. “Asif Zardari has been granted permanent bail in the case due to health issues whereas the New York property case against him is under investigation and NAB has yet to gather evidence against him in the case,” the written verdict stated. It added that the anti-graft crusaders could apply for revocation of bail on the basis of solid evidence. “NAB received asset complaints against Asif Zardari in 2018 and 2019. It received the JIT report in April 2019. Asif Zardari was released in December 2019 after being arrested in the second case,” the court said. (With additional input from News Desk)
    Published Date: 19-Oct-2022
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