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KARACHI, Sept 20: An accountability court adjourned on Tuesday the hearing of a corruption reference against former Premier Benazir Bhutto after hearing arguments from the defence counsel for one the five accused. Judge Parkash Lal Ambwani of the AC-4 fixed Sept 23 for the next hearing after hearing final arguments from Sarfaraz Tanoli, counsel for former PIA chief Air Vice Marshal (Retd) Umer Farooq.
The reference against Benazir Bhutto pertained to 1,393 illegal appointments and promotions in different cadres and postings abroad in violation of existing rules, regulation and procedure during her last tenure as prime minister.
Others, charged with corruption and corrupt practices with the former prime minister, were Air Vice Marshal (Retd) Umer Farooq, former PIA chief, Naheed Khan, Ghulam Qadir Shah Jamote and Najamul Hasan. Gulzar Hussain Qazi, a former general manager of the airline, has already been acquitted in the case.
JUDGMENT DEFERRED: Judge Parkash Lal Ambwani of the AC-4 deferred judgment in a Rs167 million corruption reference against former chief of the Pakistan Steel and three others.
The judge fixed Sept 28 for the pronouncement of the verdict.
Former PSM chairman Usman Farooqui, former deputy general manager of PSM A. H. Askari, and contractors, Khawaja Qadeer and Khawaja Naseer, have been charged with causing a loss of Rs167 million to the national exchequer.
The former PSM chief is an absconding accused in the case. Accused Askari is in custody, while the two contractors are on bail.
