Pakistan
NAB acquits Ex-PM Abbasi in illegal recruitments reference
The court approved the case withdrawing the application by the NAB
Karachi: A National Accountability Court in Karachi on Tuesday, acquitted former PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and others in illegal recruitments reference.
The NAB court heard the illegal appointment of the Managing Director of the PSO case.
The court approved the case withdrawing the application by the NAB. The judge also directed to remand the reference to the NAB chairman.
Those acquitted include former PSO MD Shaikh Imranul Haq, former Secretary Petroleum Arshad Mirza, and former MD Yaqoob Sattar.
The Accountability Court in Karachi accepted NAB's request to withdraw the reference regarding illegal recruitment in PSO. The court ordered the case to be sent back to the NAB Chairman.
Those acquitted are former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, ex-MD PSO Sheikh Imran-ul-Haq, ex-Secretary Petroleum Arshad Mirza, and ex-MD PSO Yaqub Sattar.
Speaking to the media outside the court, Abbasi reiterated that NAB should be abolished for the country to advance.
He stressed the need for judicial reforms, noting that politically motivated cases are prolonged unnecessarily. "The judge acquitted four of us today, but another accused has been facing the same court for 12 years. This was not a corruption case but merely an allegation of misuse of authority," Abbasi said. He also criticized NAB for dragging the case for over four years and presenting only one witness.
Abbasi, who faced a similar case in the NAB court for nine years, called it a "happy day" but stressed that the flawed judicial system needs urgent reforms. He affirmed his support for any political party committed to upholding the Constitution.