NAB will evaluate old cases. A review of the cases involving Ursus Tractors, ARY Gold, SGS-Cotecna, and Polo Ground would also be conducted in accordance with the revised National Accountability Ordinance (NAO).
NAB Evaluate Cases Under New Law:
On Tuesday, the Islamabad High Court granted the anti-graft organization till October 20 to consider the cases challenging Zardari’s acquittal in instances that date back 25 years under the new statute.
The hearing was presided over by a two-judge panel led by IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah.
The prosecution of the cases would be decided in a week, NAB informed the court. The judge postponed the proceedings to October 20 in order to give NAB some breathing room.
Additionally, NAB has consulted the law ministry for advice on the earlier cases. NAB was urged to make a decision by itself, but the government declined to respond.
In addition, the IHC postponed until later this week the hearing on a petition that questioned the validity of a Park Lane corruption referral involving former president Zardari.
Due to the petitioner’s attorney’s unavailability, the matter was postponed without going any further.
Asad Abbasi, an associate attorney, asked the judge to postpone the matter until later.
The case hearing was then postponed until October 27.
According to the most recent NAB law modifications, the former president had contested the Park Lane corruption reference. The former president’s petition has already been rejected by the examination directed.
An investigation court in Islamabad released on bail the PPP founder in the New York property case in January of this year on the basis of her health.
The written decision noted that Asif Zardari has been given perpetual bail in the matter due to health difficulties; however, the New York property case involving him is under investigation and NAB has yet to accumulate evidence concerning him in the case.
It further stated that the anti-graft organization could request the cancellation of bail based on credible evidence.
In 2018 and 2019, Asif Zardari was the subject of asset customer complaints by the NAB. In April 2019, it got the JIT report. After being detained in the second case, Asif Zardari was granted bail in December 2019, according to the tribunal.
Following the current government’s revision of the NAB Statute, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has chosen to review the 25-year-old cases under the reform act.
The cases involving former President Asif Ali Zardari are among the old matters that will be re-examined.
For decades, the Ursus Tractor, ARY Gold, SGS Kotekna, and Polo Ground References against the leadership of the PPP Members of parliament have been pending.
NAB solicited the Ministry of Law’s position on the old cases, but the Ministry of Law declined to provide an opinion, instead directing NAB to make its own decision.
The NAB has chosen to postpone the appeals pending in the High Court for review, and a motion has been filed in this context. Judge Muhammad Bashir heard the previous president’s case and rendered a thorough conclusion.
According to the stated verdict, Asif Zardari has been finally granted bail in the case due to ill health while the New York property case is being investigated and the NAB has not yet gathered information in the case involving him.
It went on to say that the anti-corruption organization could move for bail cancellation based on actual proof.
