ISLAMABAD - The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Tuesday turned down the appeals of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) against the acquittal of Dr Babr Awan and Riaz Kayani in the Nandipur Power Project reference.

The Division Bench of IHC comprising Chief Justice of IHC Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Aamer Farooq announced the reserved verdict in the Nandipur power project reference and upheld the decision of the accountability court.

The court also turned down the decision of trial court for rejecting the acquittal plea of former law secretary Masood Chishti.

The bench also made the observation in the judgment, “The onus is on the Bureau to dispel any perception of fear amongst the bureaucracy and to assure that bona fide decision making process would not expose any bureaucrat to the stigma or humiliation of proceedings under the Ordinance of 1999.” The Accountability Court had acquitted Babar Awan and Riaz Kayni on June 25, last year and dismissed the acquittal plea of Masood Chishti in Nandipur case. Later, the NAB had challenged the acquittal of the accused before the IHC.

Another accused arrayed in the same reference, namely Muhammad Masood Chishti, had also sought acquittal but his prayer was declined by the learned Accountability Court-II, Islamabad vide order dated 18-03-2020.