October 20, 2007	Saturday	Shawwal 7, 1428

RAWALPINDI, Oct 19: The National Accountability Bureau on Friday submitted written reply to three accountability courts, raising no objections to acquittal petitions moved by PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto, her husband Asif Ali Zardari and other accused in corruption cases under the newly-promulgated National Reconciliation Ordinance.

NAB Prosecutor General Dr Danishwar Malik submitted that the bureau had no objections to the petitions because the NRO provided for termination and withdrawal of certain proceedings by operations of law.

He prayed that acquittal petitions might be decided or disposed of in accordance with law and the Oct 12 order of the Supreme Court saying that no benefits could be drawn under the NRO until petitions challenging the legality of the new ordinance were not decided.

When the three judges asked the NAB lawyers about the copy of the SC order, Deputy Prosecutor General Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta told the courts that NAB had applied for the copy and it would be presented in the next hearing.

The NAB authorities did not submit reply in three cases —BMW and Polo Ground cases against Mr Zardari and a corruption case against Rehman Malik, former FIA director-general. The prosecution told the court that two corruption references against the PPP leader had been filed after 1999 and, therefore, did not come under the ambit of the NRO. In the case against Mr Rehman, no acquittal application had been moved in the court so no reply from NAB was necessary, the court was informed.

Accountability Court No 2 Judge Chaudhry Mohammad Younas adjourned till Oct 25 hearing in two references about ARY Gold and SGS, a Swiss company.

In both cases, Ms Bhutto and her husband were given three years imprisonment in absentia and a stay order had been obtained in the ARY case from the Lahore High Court.

Accountability Court No 3 Judge Saghir Ahmed Qadri adjourned till Oct 23 hearing in two cases relating to BMW and Cotecna, another Swiss company.

Accountability Court No 4 Judge Khalid Mehmood put off till Oct 23 hearing in the Polo Ground, Ursus Tractors, unlawful assets cases and two references about misappropriation of money.

The judges directed NAB to ensure the production of the copy of the SC order in the next hearing.