ISLAMABAD: Former President Asif Ali Zardari yesterday was acquitted in two high-profile corruption cases, lifting the spirits of Pakistan Peoples Party ahead of the final round of local government elections and an expected reshuffle in the Punjab. The favourable verdict by an accountability court to acquit Zardari in two remaining cases came at a time the PPP’s popularity has hit the lowest ebb in the Punjab. The court acquitted Zardari in the Societe Generale Surveillance and Cotecna corruption cases. He has already been cleared in ARY Gold, Polo Ground and Ursus Tractors references.
SGS is a Swiss inspection, verification, testing and certification company. In the SGS reference filed in 1997, it was alleged that former Board of Revenue chairman AR Siddiqui negotiated a pre-shipment contract between the government of Pakistan and SGS to obtain pecuniary advantages for the then Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and her spouse Asif Ali Zardari on September 20, 1994. The Cotecna reference related to the award of a contract to the Swiss company after allegedly receiving six percent of the revenue proceeds as bribes. Ursus tractors reference pertained to alleged misappropriation in the purchase of 5,900 Russian and Polish tractors at a cost of Rs 150,000 each for the then Awami Tractor Scheme. PPP Co-Chairman Zardari was one of the main accused along with former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. Her name was, however, removed from the reference after her death.
The ARY reference was about the grant of licences to ARY Traders for import of gold and silver, allegedly causing losses to the public exchequer worth Rs 18.2 million. The former president was also the main accused in the case. The court had acquitted co-accused Brig (r) Aslam Hayat Qureshi, Salman Farooqui, Abdur Rauf, Jan Muhammad and the late Haji Abdur Razzaq Yaqoob. The Polo Ground reference was about the construction of a polo ground along with ancillary works at the Prime Minister’s House, which the National Accountability Bureau said were illegal. Analysts believe Zardari’s acquittal will pump some air into the PPP campaign and the candidates will have something to play with when they go to voters. “Posing as victims has always worked,” a commentator said.
The PPP needs a miracle to do better in the December 5 LG polls in Punjab for the third phase after it faced whitewash in the first two rounds. The forecast for November 30 Islamabad vote is also not so bright. The PPP co-chairman filed acquittal pleas with the accountability court in February this year through his lawyer Farooq H Naek. The pleas stated that there was no incriminating evidence against the accused and these cases were constituted on political basis.
Judge Muhammad Bashir of the NAB court on November 11 reserved the verdict over the acquittal application of PPP co-chairman in the two cases after counsel for the litigants had concluded their arguments. On Tuesday, Naek said the evidence available against Zardari was not genuine as the prosecution record consisted of photocopies instead of original documents. In its verdict, the court announced that an accused cannot be punished without availability of the original documents so Zardari stands acquitted.
Speaking on the occasion, Farooq Naek said NAB had no original record of the case and 16 witnesses produced before the court levelled no serious allegation against Asif Zardari. Former National Accountability Bureau chief Senator Saifur Rehman had filed these corruption charges against the senior PPP leadership in 1998 to victimise them politically, he added.
Zardari is presently abroad. He went to Dubai in June this year and has not returned so far while his son Bilawal Bhutto Zardari leads the PPP. His party hopes the former president could end his brief self-imposed exile this month. The PPP will celebrate its foundation day on November 30, which some believe may be the best time for his return. Zardari made a controversial speech in June, warning generals to stop victimising the PPP or he would expose their ‘misdeeds’. His statement came after allegations of corruption, land-grabbing, smuggling of Iranian oil and extortion were levelled by the Rangers against the PPP-led Sindh government. The former president threatened the country’s war machine with dire consequences like ‘exposing’ the corruption of former generals. His words were criticised by all and sundry, including Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who cancelled a scheduled meeting with the PPP leader.