ISLAMABAD:The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday instructed Prosecutor General NAB to view his department’s appeals against the acquittal of former president Asif Ali Zardari in Ursus tractors and ARY Gold references.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Aamer Farooq heard the appeals of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) against the acquittal of ex-president.
At the outset of hearing, Additional Prosecutor General NAB Jahanzeb Bharwana argued that NAB had filed four appeals against the acquittal of Zardari in graft references.
He contended that accountability court decided the matter despite the original documents and reference filed was missing. The original record and the statements of witnesses also went missing, he said.
Justice Farooq remarked that NAB’s appeals were pending with this court since 2014 and it had passed seven years. Chief Justice remarked that why the NAB shouldn’t be set responsible as it had wasted court’s time.
Justice Farooq noted that the NAB had told the accountability court that it would argue on the available documents. The chief justice remarked that where was written in NAB ordinance that the department would be responsible if a false reference was moved.
The prosecutor requested the court to dispose of these appeals or adjourned hearing on them till the record was recovered. The court instructed the Prosecutor General NAB to view the matter and adjourned hearing of the case.