The Accountability Court Rawalpindi has asked the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to file the reply on the petitions filed by former premier Benazir Bhutto, her spouse Asif Ali Zardari, Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao and others seeking acquittal in different cases of corruption and bad practices on the basis of recently promulgated National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO).
Judge of the Accountability Court No-1 Muhammad Hanif Khan resumed the hearing on the petitions on Friday and directed the Accountability Bureau to submit reply on these petitions on next hearing fixed on October 17. The learned judge adjourned the hearing till October 17.
Former premier Benazir Bhutto and her spouse Asif Ali Zardari had moved eight separate applications in the Accountability Courts Rawalpindi seeking withdrawal of eight corruption cases, pending against them in these courts, under the recently promulgated National Reconciliation Ordinance.
Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao also moved the court seeking relief under the same ordinance in New City Project reference involving fraud of millions of rupees with the people in the name of providing them with residential plots in the federal capital.
Some applications were also filed to get relief for former additional director FIA, Rehman Malik, who is also facing corruption charges, and the NAB court had issued his arrest warrants for absconding the court proceedings and was declared a proclaimed offender.
Senator Farooq Naik Advocate appeared before the Accountability Court Rawalpindi and moved 10 applications before the court, seeking withdrawal of the cases against former premier Benazir Bhutto and her spouse Asif Ali Zardari. Two applications were moved for seeking similar relief for former additional director FIA Rehman Malik.