October 24, 2007	Wednesday	Shawwal 11, 1428

RAWALPINDI, Oct 23: Hearings in corruption cases against Benazir Bhutto and Asif Zardari were adjourned by three accountability courts here on Tuesday.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) failed to file a copy of the Supreme Court’s October 12 order saying no benefits could be drawn under the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) until petitions challenging the law were decided.

Deputy Prosecutor-General Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta told the courts that the copy of the apex court’s order would be submitted at the next hearings on October 31.

The National Accountability Bureau also failed to submit its written reply in two applications about the polo ground and BMW vehicles references against Asif Zardari and sought more time saying both cases had been filed after 1999 and were out of the NRO ambit.

Defence lawyer Farooq H. Naek told court-4 judge Khalid Mehmood that the inquiry into the polo ground case had been started before 1999 though the reference was filed in 2000 and under the NAB ordinance the inquiry was deemed as legal proceeding.

The DPG said the NAB would respond to the arguments in the polo ground and BMW cases at the next hearing.

An application for acquittal of former FIA chief Rehman Malik in the vehicle corruption case was moved by his lawyer in court-4 and the judge asked the NAB to submit its reply on October 31.

The judge adjourned the hearing in the polo ground, Ursus Tractors, unlawful assets cases and a reference of misappropriation of money till October 31.

Court-1 judge Mohammad Hanif Khan adjourned the hearing in the illegal assets reference against Benazir Bhutto and in the kickbacks reference against Asif Zardari till October 31.

The same date was given by court-3 judge Saghir Ahmed Qadri in the BMW and Cotecna cases against the Pakistan People’s Party leaders.