April 05, 2008	Saturday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 27, 1429

ISLAMABAD, April 4: Former federal minister for petroleum and natural resources Anwar Saifullah Khan has conceded filing of an application seeking benefit from the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) 2007 in all pending cases against him.

“It is better to put a swift end to such cases and move on in life as is the need of the moment for every citizen of Pakistan and for the nation as a whole,” the ex-minister said in a statement issued on Friday.

An accountability court had held the ex-minister guilty of recruiting over 145 people in the oil and gas sector allegedly in disregard of merit and sentenced him to one-year’s imprisonment with a Rs5 million fine.

The Peshawar High Court, however, set aside the conviction but the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) moved an appeal against the verdict. Five other references of corruption were also filed against him and according to the statement Mr Saifullah was honourably acquitted in all these cases. Appeals against his acquittal have been pending since long, mainly because of NAB’s reluctance to pursue them.—Staff Reporter