LAHORE, March 5: An accountability court on Saturday stopped the trial of Punjab Agriculture Minister Arshad Lodhi after dropping charges of abuse of power and making assets with ill-gotten money during the period he had been in the cabinet of Shahbaz Sharif.

The charges were dropped on his application. He had been a minister during all Sharif governments in 1985, 1990 and 1997.

The court took the decision after the charges against Mr Lodhi, the PML vice-president, were reinvestigated and it was informed that evidence was insufficient.

HASHIM BABAR: An accountability court on Saturday reserved its judgment on an application filed by Hashim Babar, director, land acquisition of the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board, during the Benazir government, for his acquittal on a reference of misuse of official powers.