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The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Saturday filed an appeal against Asif Ali Zardari's acquittal in a corruption reference that accused the PPP co-chairman of acquiring assets through illegal means.
The appeal was filed at the Lahore High Court's Rawalpindi bench by NAB officials.
The plaintiffs in their appeal have demanded that the Rawalpindi accountability court's judgement acquitting Zardari in the assets reference be discarded and the case be referred to a trial court.
The appeal, a copy of which is available with DawnNews, states that NAB has a "tremendous amount of documentary evidence relating to the properties and bank accounts and other movable and immovable assets" which could have been used to take the investigation further.
A NAB spokesperson told DawnNews that the accountability court issued acquittal orders of Zardari without taking into consideration the "solid evidence" submitted by NAB.
"The court has acquitted Zardari as a result of a hasty trial which will set the wrong precedent [for future cases]," he said.
The request for Zardari's acquittal, submitted by his counsel and PPP leader Farooq H. Naek, was accepted by Justice Khalid Mahmood Ranjha, who ruled that the reference lacked a legal basis.
Zardari had previously been exempted from appearing in the case owing to security concerns.
The reference against Zardari was filed before an accountability court in 2001, but was closed in 2007 under the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) issued by the government of retired Gen Pervez Musharraf.
The Supreme Court, in its verdict in the NRO case on December 2009, had ordered the revival of all cases closed under the ordinance. By then, however, Zardari had been sworn in as president and therefore, enjoyed immunity under Article 248 of the Constitution.
Zardari has faced a total of six corruption references; apart from the assets reference, the former president was also implicated in the SGS, Cotecna, Polo Ground, Ursus Tractors and ARY Gold corruption references.
NAB reopened these references once Zardari had completed his term office, but the former president had already been acquitted in five of the six references after a retrial before the accountability court.
Comments (88) Closed
Establishment is with zardari. He will not be touched that is for sure
If there are tremendous evidences then why NAB is not taking action??
About time all corrupt politicians face the full force of law, including Zardari. There should be no exception, no leniency.
@Shaikh scared of the reaction ...no institution in Pakistan has a net large enough to catch the big fish
There is politics going on behind the scenes ..
NAB saying this is not understandable.
Recently the last of the two and three decade old cases against Zardari have been decided. In the next election and prior to that cases are needed once again to keep the party busy in courts and not govern. Remember Swiss letter during ppp era and SC could not wait to dismiss elected PM. As soon as the PPP govt was over so did those cases now it is election time again.
Making a fool out of this nation!
How come the richest Pakistani in the Forbes' list is set free and the 4th richest Pakistani is in the docks, both having no known legal business to prove their worth?
Zardari was quite bold against NAB chairman and NAB didn't do anything. I don't think they will do anything now either.
Such statements from NAB are a wake up call for the organization, itself, and those who lead it. Get up, from your back side and get Zardari, and make sure he gets arrested along with the Sharifs! All words and no action, is not going to cut it!
This is what you get when you appoint your hand picked cronies on top jobs - you scratch my back, I shall scratch yours!
@Shaikh: Money buys everything and big money buys the biggest.
Heading towards unrest in Pakistan.
The workings of Pakistan judicial system. Khalid Ranjha should never have been the judge in this case. He has been a PPP member since time immemorial. What conflict of interest?
This means the judges who acquitted Zardari should be tried first! Why he ignored the evidence at the time?
Shut NAB down. Its purpose is lost.
Whole Pakistan knows that Zardari is a highly suspicious person for corruption. He has been acquitted as he has not had a fair trial and it is not fair for the people of Pakistan
Hasty trial what a joke I mean after 17 years of trial nothing found against him and he set free after that initially he spend 8 years in jail also without any proof and conviction
@Azmat - seems like it. Who will bring out the truth?
With this statement Nab has either tried to hide its own weakness or lamented our honorable judiciary. Both ways tremendous amount of political advantage. If their statement is true then Heavy Bribe could be the deciding factor. Honorable CJ LHC is the proper person who can guard the integrity of judiciary. May he take notice please.
The world knows how rich he is and how corrupt his government and practices have been, but NAB doesn't know! Still massive corruption in Sind. Acquit Zardari then doing same with NS and Dar, let them take us back to the caves.
@zaryab Farooqui Right. He was trained and installed by the US with Gen Kiyani as his aide. All of this was written by a Belgian journalist not long ago in detail. People who are interested must read that article and feel the worst than ever before.
What a use of public money and gov resources.in addition to the corruption money millions have been spent for investigation n and tria but no output." The case lacks legal ground" at the end
NAB is just as corrupt as Zardari.
@Sameer, NAB is the school martial's stick for the undisciplined students.
NAB after Pananama court decision wants to be changed Identity. In future we may hear some other important cases until dust settles down.
Let us do it right this time. Once for all. Mr. Zardari is involved in corruption one way or another and majority of Pakistani believe in that. I hope this time NAB will take action.
While I have no sympathy for Asif Zardari i must say NAB is not able to put its act togather. The way NAB is opening and closing the mega corruptions cases tantamounts to mockery of justice.
nobody can say the courts are corrupt then why NAB is not accepting the verdict.
Zardari's acquittal is a blot on the fair face of justice.
For sure this is to say we are committed corrupt peoples
Incompetent Ministers, officiais, officers and bureaucrats all over and everywhere in the country.
If the nation wanted to have corruption free country; the federal and provincial parliaments members should pass a law that should award capital punishment for those who were convicted for major corruption in the country. The corrupt politicians and people in power in the government are really making the country financially weak and behind the rest of the world. Corruption in any form should never be tolerated for the future of over country and our future generations. Please think about it.
Everyone knows Zardari is the most honest politician it is IK we should go after.
@Shan Zardari is the most corrupt leader Pakistan has in the whole history. He should be trialled and hanged high so that other corrupt leaders should learn the lesson.
NAB, Zardari and Sharif, all are friend in need is friend indeed. They don't harm each other.
Then dish it out and don't hold it for future bargain with zardari.
When will the so-called leaders of the "land of the pure" who have looted the country and its hapless and helpless people worth billions of dollars or otherwise will be tried and sentenced under a quick, fair, free, transparent and non-discriminatory judicial system?
Incompetence of NAB and 2007 NRO has cost this country 10 precious years.
These ultra rich and corrupt hobby politicians have created one laws for them selves and another for the rest. This is NO democracy practiced in countries like Sweden or Canada. This is a system taken out from the deepest parts of hell.
The common people make huge sacrifices and elite reaps benfits (including stashing away billions of dollars in taxfree heavens). Our law makers are well able to stop these corrupt sinkhole practices? It is high time we change our practices, plug these leaks (and bring back those billion of dollars back). We wont need any overseas aid and progress forward.
According to NAB there is only one 'white' sheep in this flock of 'black' sheep.
This is so unbelievable! Yet another shameful moment for the country's judiciary.
If Zardari is innocent then there no corrupt man in all Pakistan.
It was a mockery of the Pakistani justice system to let Zardari go totally free. The whole world is laughing as Ex PM got clean chit of his financial situation. Get him back to a full a meticulous accountability investigation.
I am hearing this for last quarter century. Bring solid evidence in front of court and people punish him and close zardari corruption chapter. Too much talking by everyone.
@Khanm only politician prosecuted in Pakistan. Never religious person punished in Pakistan though so many life lost. Change mind set just don't repeat same thing again and again
This is the final move of NS regime to what they used to do under the name of democracy. This is warning to Zardari that if you are turning your back on us so will we
We always give excuses to politicians, now Zardari will say that he is being victimized with fabricated proofs.
Zardari is a great survivor. Someone pointed out rightly that he won't be touched, as the powers that be, support him. Coming out squeaky clean out of the mountain of corruption is no mean feat.
We have a retail legal system and the sale is on to buy your way out, to say Zardari is not guilty is like saying superman can't fly.
@OTHER SIDE .SC has balanced the equation. Gillani PPP disqualified now Nawaz Sharif disqualified. NAB vigorously probing Nawaz Sharif, NAB now again probing Zardari with fresh energy. There will be an equal,and even handed actions for both the parties .
This id being done to show that the action against Nswaz is not one sided . In actual fact it is . Zardari will be allowed to go scott free .
In Pakistan, things usually turn out to be a whimper rather than Bang in such cases. Expect Mr. Zardari to perform his usual magic and use the right connections to make the evidence evaporate into thin air.
How can one even think that Zardari is not corrupt. Twenty to twenty five years ago the Zardari family were in debt and were taking loans from family and friends as the Cinema that had was not making profits in the post Zia era.
Zardari is a big corrupt person than nawaz but NAB did not take action against him .why ? NAB is playing basically 2ble game .NAB have to take serious action against zardari including all those perons who is with corruption and responsible of this bad condition of pakistan
@Saad Aren't we the fools after all we have brought them to powers as many time as we could.
Four NAB references are going to the Judge who acquitted Zardari
In my view, Asif Zardari is not only a cunning politician, he is also master of corrupt practices. He knows, how to confuse and handle media and his close associates. He deserve to be in prison and his looted money returned back to Pakistan. The question is who is going to do this?
@Texan : Musharraf should be in jail for his NRO if nothing else.
Zardari is corrupt, it is an open and shut case. The whole world knows this except the authorities in Pakistan. Why waste time and resources? Send him to jail and keep him there forever.
Is it surprising that the witnesses, judges, prosecutors connected to Asif Ali Zardari cases and recently the custom officer [Ayan Ali dollar smuggling case] were all killed.
I am thinking that every one know that zardari is a curupt person,so he must be arrested.
It's will be good if zardari arrest
I dream a dream that time for the corrupt is finish in Pakistan.
NAB, Thank you so much for your honesty and help Pakistan much better!
How man years have passed since those case were registered against him. The Surrey Palace was not a mystery. And all those $mn in his account in Swiss Bank , accounts were defreezed after our government dropped the charges. A man who amassed so much wealth especially when he started from the ownership of a cinema in Karachi. It does n't take a genius to figure out.
Tremendous evidence in media then poor evidence in court, punishment for a petty crime. Excitement doesn't last because of poor investigation.
please forgive all low level criminals it this is precedent we want to set.
Why it took so long for NAB to re-appeal the case, it reflects the incompetency and political nepotism lies in NAB. Its is high time to Clean the NAB aswell.
Pakistani tax payers pay salary and benefits to many many high officials to do their job properly. Hopefully officials take their responsibility seriously. Otherwise people would continue to lose respect and trust for 'paid officials'. It would be a slow decay of the system for all.
Is there any mechanism in Pakistan which ensure the accountability of our judges who make wrong judgments?
Long ago, when Musharraf established the National Reconciliation Ordinance, that gave amnesty to everyone's previous malfeasances except Nawaz's group, I thought it probably was a good idea, if enlarged to include everyone. Tracking down the corrupt sources of so many fortunes would be difficult if not impossible. Better to establish a new red line that demanded no corruption thenceforth.
Of course, the reinstated Lord Chief Justice put an end to this thought. On the whole, I thought after reflection, thing had turned out better, since the judiciary now had independence that most "institutions" of government respected.
With that precedent, Nawaz and Co. are now being brought to book.
Zardar is listed as next, it seems, despite the fact of acquittal.
While it is a good sign that Zardar's corruption cases are being revived.once again as he no longer enjoys Presidential immunity, some other big-name corruption cases must also be taken up under the suo-moto provisions of the existing legal procedures.
NAB needs to read the court judgment : destruction of evidence;use of photostat copies ,..Please do not try to be smart ! The whole world knows who where behind this acquittal !
@Shan how can you say he is honest person, just look at his assets, from where he got all this. Just go 25-30 years and compare what he was and what he is now.
@Shaikh, The bigger question is, why did the judge over look the evidence when he accepted the acquittal if there was tremendous evidence.
Regardless, Zardari has gotten away for years, and in all five cases of corruption he was acquitted, sometimes I think people know more(Facts) about corruption than our biased institutions.
@Saad , You just figured that out? We have being fooled every election, every time we go vote, we are complete and utter fools, we keep falling for the same old same old.
Zardari's phenomenal rise 'from rags to riches' even the blindest can recognize, his threats & Sindh card has worked intimidating the concerned leading to his acquittal - what a disgrace no wonder we have become international outcasts, Modi sb only gets credit of our misdeeds
First they allow corruption & now they are after that. Typical Asian case.
In another country, the likes of him would be sentenced after a summary trial. but in Pakistan a petty thief is put in jail and mega thieves are scot free.
Unless we have a revolutionary leader like Ayataollah, corruption will prevail in the society along with all the big corrupt fish.
Biggest joke in country is that a corrupt man like zardari is moving freely
Zardari is born criminal.
This news will put a damper on Bakhtawar's rejoicing of her dad's acquittal with a clean chit only a couple of weeks ago. Not sure how her conscious allowed her to believe it.
@saeeds ... may I know why...By the way, Ayoub Khan almost hanged Maulana Modudi...besides they all are big fishes and the irony is the big one eats the small one ...