National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has decided to challenge the acquittal of former President and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari in illegal assets case. As per details made available here, the NAB will file a petition in Lahore High Court (LHC) against the decision, and is waiting to get a copy of the verdict that was announced by the Accountability Court in Rawalpindi on August 26.
Asif Ali Zardari was accused of holding assets in Pakistan as well as abroad through illegal means. PPP stalwart Farooq H Naek had represented Zardari and filed a petition for bail in Judge Khalid Mehmood Ranjha's court which was approved. It was ruled that there is no legal basis of corruption references filed by the NAB.
Sources said that the former president has been bailed out of the case due to unavailability of strong evidence against him. Both Zardari and his wife Benazir Bhutto were accused of holding assets through illegal means. The reference was first filed in 2001. It was closed in 2007 under NRO and reopened afterwards.
Accountability court released former president of the last reference against him which was filed 19 years ago. Court said that NAB was unable to present witnesses and relevant record to hear the case further. The NAB told the court that four witnesses in the case could not be reached as they changed their addresses after retirement. Rest of the accused in this reference had already been bailed out. The case was opened after end of Zardari's presidency.