LAHORE, Feb 7: An accountability court on Monday deferred its decision on a reference against Pakistan People's Party secretary-general Jahangir Badar till Feb 12 because his counsel Sardar Mohammad Latif Khan Khosa was not available.

A lawyer from the chamber of Mr Khosa, who is also a PPP member of the Senate, appeared in the court and requested adjournment because Mr Khosa was busy in the Punjab Bar Council elections.

Mr Badar is accused of recruiting more than 100 people without lawful authority in the petroleum and gas ministry during the period he had been the minister in-charge as a member of the first Benazir Bhutto government in 1988-1990 period.