ISLAMABAD, March 26: The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has said the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) is misleading the people by claiming that the Swiss court had not quashed the Dargal Tractor case and sent it back to the examining magistrate. In a statement issued here on Saturday, a spokesperson for the party said a copy of the Swiss court order was available in its offices in France which did not state, as alleged by NAB, that the case was to return to the examining magistrate. “NAB officials are misleading the government as well as the public on their failure after years of propaganda and wastage of public funds,” the party said.

It may be recalled that an Ehtesab reference was filed in 1998 against Benazir Bhutto and her husband Asif Ali Zardari for allegedly receiving kickbacks in the purchase of Ursus tractors under the Awami tractor scheme, in collusion with Schlagelmilch and others.

The PPP said Ms Bhutto and Mr Zardari had denied the charges, while Mr Schlagelmilch had also said the company had nothing to do with the couple.

The spokesman said NAB was making false allegations as part of a character assassination campaign.