The Supreme Court on Wednesday acquitted Aftab Ahmed Sherpao in three references submitted against him in 1997 as the then NWFP chief minister by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) under National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO).
The NAB had filed these references against the verdict of Peshawar High Court for acquitting Aftab Sherpao and Zahir Shah, former Director General of Peshawar Development Authority in Hayatabad plot allotment case. A three-member bench of the apex court, comprising Chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar, Justice Chaudhry Ejaz Yousaf and Justice Sheikh Hakim Ali, adjourned the hearing till July 10.
The NRO was promulgated to grant amnesty to all politicians from the charges of misconduct and misuse of power between 1985 and 2007. It applies to all those cases against which allegations are outstanding in the courts of law.
Former NWFP chief minister Aftab Sherpao was convicted by the Accountability Court in Hayatabad plot allotment case, but his appeal was later accepted by the Peshawar High Court.
At that NAB appealed against the acquittal in the Supreme Court. Investigation officer Qazi Hameed stated during the investigation of the case that Sherpao was not the only chief minister, who had exercised the powers of allotting plots in his discretion.
On Wednesday, NAB Prosecutor General Dr Danishwar Malik argued that Aftab Sherpao and Zahir Shah had been convicted in corruption cases and were not in the ambit of the NRO.
He said that the bureau had sentenced them on December 31, 1999 for misusing their authority in allotment of plots. The investigation against them is still under process, he added. Counsel for Aftab Sherpao Chaudhry Mushtaq said that the case against Sherpao fell in the ambit of NRO, therefore, he should be given relief under the ordinance. However, the court adjourned the hearing till Thursday due to non-availability of record, which had to be submitted by the NAB.
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