Pakistan withdraws money-laundering case in Switzerland against Zardari

Islamabad, Apr 2 : The Pakistan Government has withdrawn a money laundering case in Switzerland filed against PPP co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari.

The case withdrawn by the Pakistan Government relates to a multi-million dollar money laundering case in Switzerland.

Swiss authorities may still bring the case to trial, but lawyers believe that Pakistan's withdrawal weakens the chances of securing a conviction.

Zardari is a leading figure in Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party, which dominates the new Pakistan coalition government. He had said that corruption cases against him were politically motivated.

Last month, a Pakistani court quashed the last of seven local corruption cases against Zardari.

The cases were withdrawn as part of an amnesty agreed last year between Bhutto and President Pervez Musharraf.

The corruption charges in Pakistan have hung over Zardari for more than a decade.

Allegations surfaced when he served in Bhutto's governments in the 1990s.

Pakistanis nicknamed him Mr. 10 Per Cent and he spent 11 years in prison on corruption and other charges, but was not convicted, the BBC reported.

ANI