Islamabad High Court dismisses NAB’s pleas against Asif Zardari’s acquittal
The Islamabad High Court dismissed on Thursday the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) appeals against the acquittal of former president Asif Ali Zardari.
The decision comes after the NAB withdrew appeals it had filed against Asif Zardari’s acquittal by the courts in Ursus Tractors, ARY Gold, Polo Ground and Cotecna references.
During the hearing on Thursday, Additional Prosecutor General Jahanzaib Bharwana appeared before the court on the NAB’s behalf and requested for the permission to withdraw applications.
Chief Justice Athar Minallah said that there was nothing in your case on merit, it would have ultimately been dismissed.
The court inquired if the NAB conducted any inquiry into the missing case record. NAB prosecutor, however, was unable to give any satisfactory answer.
The anti-graft watchdog in its application said that even photocopies of the documents presented as evidence against Zardari are hardly on record.
The available documents are not as per the requirement of law of evidence, the NAB said.
Asif Zardari was acquitted in Ursus Tractors deal, ARY Gold, Polo Ground and SSG-Cotecna cases.
The accountability bureau had filed appeals against his acquittal in 2015.
