The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday noticed that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has challenged the acquittal of former President Asif Ali Zardari without obtaining the original record of the case, reports Dawn.
A two-member bench comprising of Chief Justice (CJ) Athar Minallah and Justice Aamer Farooq was hearing NAB’s appeal against the acquittal of Zardari in a case.
NAB Additional Prosecutor General Jahanzaib Khan Bharwana informed the bench that the original record of the reference had gone missing.
The court noted that it took NAB seven years to realise that the appeals were filed without possessing the original record.
Bharwana told the court the record had gone missing while it was being transported from the Lahore High Court to the Supreme Court.
Justice Aamer Farooq questioned, “Please, tell us whether the anti-corruption watchdog is interested in pursuing its appeal or not?” reports The News.
Farooq said that NAB’s cases do not have any substance, adding, “NAB’s job is to hold corrupt people accountable. Now it is time to hold it accountable.”
CJ Minallah said NAB should now admit it had made a mistake by filing these references since it did not have proof against the former president.
“And if indeed, there were no proofs, then the court will also take action against the former bureau chairman in whose tenure these cases had been filed,” said IHC CJ.
Justice Minallah asked whether the NAB officials had any idea what cost the country’s economy had to pay for their rash steps. “Truth of the matter is that the bureau had failed to satisfy the accountability court with respect to allegations against Zardari,” he added.
