KARACHI, Aug 13: Asif Ali Zardari was acquitted on Wednesday in the Sajjad Hussain murder case by the additional district and sessions judge, South.

The 49-year-old leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party, who has been in custody since the dismissal of Benazir Bhutto’s government in November 1996, stood calm when Judge Abrar Hussain Memon pronounced the order on his acquittal plea.

The judge, who held the proceedings inside the Central Prison, ruled that there was no evidence on record against Mr Zardari. “He should be released if his custody is not required in any other case,” he said.

Mr Zardari, who was acquitted last month in two cases of attempt to commit suicide, and co-accused Mohammed Khan Chachar, were charged with the murder of Sajjad Hussain, a former chairman of the Pakistan Steel Mills.

The former premier’s spouse, represented by Shahadat Awan, had moved the application for his acquittal on August 5 when the court had indicted him and a co-accused in the case.

While acquitting Mr Zardari, the judge also referred to the alleged confessional statement of co-accused Chachar and observed that that piece of evidence was not reliable as the co-accused had resiled it.

Advocate Shahadat Awan had submitted before the court that the wife of Mr Chachar had filed a constitutional petition in the Sindh High Court, alleging her husband was being tortured in the police custody. He said the woman also attached with her petition a letter written by Mr Chachar, wherein he stated that he was being forced to implicate Mr Zardari in the case.

According to the defence counsel’s contention, the case was a tool for exerting pressure on the applicant. “The accused is a former senator and husband of former prime minister, Benazir Bhutto.” He said the former premier and her entire family were put to persecution immediately after the dismissal of her government in November 1996.

Mr Awan submitted that there was sufficient material on record that co-accused Chachar raised voice at different forums that he was being pressured into making false statements against his client.

The defence counsel submitted that the alleged statement of accused Chachar was concocted by the police. He submitted that even otherwise the alleged statement was inadmissible under Article 38 of Qanoon-i-Shahadat.

Mr Chachar had also moved an application before the trial court in February last year, praying the court not to grant police any further time “for cooking up any false evidence in this case”.

Dr Zulfiqar Mirza, Dr Nisar and Sohail Panga have been declared absconding accused in the case.