Graft charges against Zardari quashed
Staff Report

RAWALPINDI—Under the sprit of National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO), the National Accountability court has dismissed five of the seven references against Pakistan Peoples Party Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari and restored his frozen assets. The hearing in BMW Car Conference and Cotecna Reference has been deferred till March 12 due to absence of judge of honorable court.
The Accountability Court has also dismissed the reference against Security Advisor of Late PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto, Rehman Malik and revived his all frozen assets and also released his impounded cars. The Accountability Court in its order declared that the dropping of references would apply to all Public Office Holders and co-accused under the provision of NRO, however, the lawyers of other accused would file separate applications for the acquittal of their clients and after reviewing the applications, the decision would be taken.
The Honorable Court in its remarks said that after the dropping of the references against the main accused and public office holders, there is no justification to continue proceeding against other accused and the references should also be dismissed against them but all the legal requirements should be fulfilled. The hearing of the reference against Asif Ali Zardari and other 6 co-accused in ARY Reference and against 13 co-accused in SGS Reference was held in the court of Chaudhary Muhammad Younis, Judge of the Accountability Court No. 2.
The panel comprised on Farooq H Naik, Jamshed Kayani, Khawaja Haris, Arshad Tabraiz Abbasi, Abu Bakar Zardari, Chaudhary Ashraf, Talib Hussain, Sardar Khaliq and Amjad Iqbal Qureshi were the defence lawyers while from NAB, Prosecutor General Dr. Daniswar Malik, Deputy Persecutor General NAB Zulfiqar Bhatti and Abdul Basir Qureshi appeared.
In the start of the hearing of SGS Reference, the Accountability Court asked the Prosecutor General about his opinion about the reference, he opined that NAB has no objections over the dismissal of the references as a five-member bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Abdul Hamid Dogar already gave its verdict regarding NRO. The court on that accepted the acquittal applications and directed to drop the reference.
The name of Abdul Razzaq, Yaqoob Jan Muhammad and Abdul Rauf could not be cleared due to stay order issued from the High Court against the trial, the lawyer, Chaudhary Ashraf told the court that an petition has been filed for the withdrawal of the stay order and the court has accepted it. The Honorable Court on this directed the lawyers of the accused to present the attested coy of that verdict in the court.
Meanwhile, the Ursus Tractor, Polo Ground and assets references were terminated over no objections from NAB on the applications submitted for quashing of references and their early hearing. The court also ordered releasing of frozen and confiscated assets including accounts, sugar mills and some other assets. The court has also accepted the applications filed for the acquittal of former director of FIA Rehman Malik and released his impounded two Honda Civic cars.
The hearing of Cotecna and BMW Reference has been adjourned till March 12 due to absent of judge of the Honorable Court. Meanwhile talking to reporters Farooq Naik, lawyer of Asif Ali Zardari said today finally has been served and the cases filed against Asif Ali Zardari and Benazir Bhutto were a bundle of lies. He warned that his client had the right to claim compensation from the government but he hoped that his client would forgive NAB and the government.