LAHORE, Nov 24: An accountability court has set Jan 10 for arguments by the prosecution on an application by former federal minister Jahangir Badr for acquittal from a corruption reference under the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO).

Badr said the reference against him stood withdrawn from Oct 5, when the NRO came into effect, by virtue of its Section 7. He prayed to the court to dismiss the case against him.

In the reference, Badr has been accused of illegally appointing 99 people to the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Ltd (SNGPL), 74 to the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC), nine to the Oil and Gas Development Corporation (OGDC) and 23 to the Pakistan State Oil (PSO). He has been accused of ordering a PSO managing director to allow installation of 61 petrol pumps. He has also been accused of ordering enlistment of 97 house pipeline contractors with SNGPL in violation of rules and regulations.