An accountability court on Wednesday acquitted former President Asif Ali Zardari in the polo-ground corruption reference and dismissed a petition seeking acquittal in other references filed against him by National Accountability Bureau (NAB). The accountability court judge, Muhammad Bashir, while hearing five references against former president Zardari announced his judgement in the polo-ground corruption reference, declaring the accused innocent due to lack of evidence against him.
The court dismissed a petition seeking the acquittal of Asif Ali Zardari in the SGS and Contecna references and asked the NAB to summon witnesses on June 9. The court will announce its judgement in the URSUS and the ARY Gold cases against Zardari on June 4.
Farooq H Naek, Zardari's counsel, told media persons outside the court that the court had said that there was no sufficient evidence against his client. The accountability court reopened NAB references against former President Asif Ali Zardari on October 11, 2013 and issued a notice to him to appear before the court.
The references against the former president include the alleged kickbacks from SGS PSI Company, and grant of licence to ARY Gold, causing huge loss to national exchequer, illegal gratification and undue pecuniary advantage in the form of commission in the purchase of URSUS tractors under the Awami Tractor Scheme, illegal award of contract to Cotecna for pre-shipment, assets beyond means and illegal construction of a polo-ground at Prime Minister's house.
The hearing of the references against former President Zardari had been adjourned when he was elected President of Pakistan due to constitutional immunity. The then President, Pervez Musharraf, had withdrawn all the corruption cases against Zardari under the controversial National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) in 2007. The Supreme Court later annulled the NRO and reopened all corruption cases against him.