LAHORE: An accountability court on Thursday acquitted former chairman of Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) and PPP leader Asif Hashmi and others in two more references of making alleged illegal appointments in the board.

Mr Hashmi, who is on bail, appeared before the court to hear the announcement of the verdicts.

The court acquitted Hashmi and others observing that the prosecution failed to establish its charges against the accused persons.

The other day, another accountability court had acquitted him in a reference of alleged illegal investments made by the ETPB during his stint. In this reference, he was accused of making illegal investments worth Rs1,870 million with a private company that caused a huge loss to the national exchequer.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had arrested Hashmi on his return to country from the UAE. He served as chairman of the ETPB between 2007 and 2013. He was accused of misusing his authority and misappropriation of public funds.

In a fourth reference, the bureau also accused him of selling 1, 946 kanals land of the board to DHA at a throwaway price.

He also faces trials in different cases made against him by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

However, he was acquitted in a case filed by the FIA on the allegations of distributing ETPB donations of millions of rupees on personal liking. The agency had also alleged that Hashmi failed to justify the stealing of Rs34,000 from the donation’s amount. However, a special court (central) had acquitted him for lack of evidence.

Published in Dawn, April 29th, 2022