March 06, 2008	Thursday	Safar 27 ,1429

RAWALPINDI, March 5: Former interior minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao moved a fresh petition for acquittal in a corruption reference in an accountability court on Wednesday.

The reference relates to the Islamabad New City Project and the petition seeks Mr Sherpao’s acquittal under the National Reconciliation Ordinance promulgated last year.

Judge Muhammad Hanif Khan of Accountability Court-1 adjourned hearing till March 7. The reference alleges that a certain amount of money was transferred to the account of the former minister from the account of builders Haji Nawaz Khokhar, a former deputy speaker of the National Assembly, who is a co-accused in the case.

Mr Sherpao had earlier obtained a stay order from Lahore High Court’s Rawalpindi bench against proceedings in the accountability court and the judge had directed the former minister to get the stay vacated in order to get his acquittal petition processed.

On Wednesday, Mr Sherpao submitted a fresh petition stating that the high court’s stay order had been vacated and requested that the reference against him should be dismissed under the NRO after its validation by the Supreme Court.