NAB has no objection to Bhutto's acquittal plea

Islamabad, Oct 20 (UNI) Pakistan's National Accountability Bureau has expressed no objection to the pleas filed by former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, her husband Asif Ali Zardari and other accused seeking discharge in the corruption cases against them, under the new National Reconciliation Ordinance.

The NAB prosecutor Danishwar Malik submitted a written reply to three accountability courts saying the bureau had no objections to the petitions because the NRO provided for termination and withdrawal of certain proceedings by operations of law.

He urged that acquittal petitions might be decided or disposed of in accordance with law and Supreme Court's order saying no benefits could be drawn under the NRO until petitions challenging the legality of the new ordinance were not decided.

The NAB authorities did not submit reply in three cases-- BMW and Polo Ground cases against Mr Zardari and a corruption case against former FIA director-general Rehman Mallik. The prosecution told the court that two corruption references against the PPP leader had been filed after 1999 and, therefore, did not come under the ambit of the NRO. In the case against Mr Mallik, no acquittal application had been moved in the court so no reply from NAB was necessary, the court was informed.

The judges have directed NAB to ensure the production of the copy of the SC order in the next hearing.

UNI