LAHORE, Feb 15: An accountability court on Thursday acquitted former chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, Hakim Ali Zardari, his wife Dr Zareen Ara Zardari and former director of the Military Land and Cantonment Board, Hashim Babar, in a petrol pump land allotment case.

Initially, Mr Babar was prosecuted by the then Chief Ehtesab Commissioner on March 13, 1997, and Mr and Mrs Zardari were indicted in July 2001 after the reference was re-investigated by the Federal Investigation Agency.

The NAB alleged that the cantonment board declined the installation of a petrol pump by Mr and Mrs Zardari near the Ayub National Park in Rawalpindi mainly for security reasons, but Mr Babar favoured them by accepting their appeal on Sept 22, 1994.

The NAB alleged Mr Babar had abused his powers to allow Mr and Mrs Zardari to install the petrol pump on government land.

The petrol pump was never installed.