Asif Zardari seeks withdrawal of acquittal appeal in NAB reference

ISLAMABAD: Former president and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari has moved the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to withdraw his acquittal appeal in the Rs8 billion suspicious transaction reference, ARY News reported on Thursday.

According to details, the former president has filed the appeal through his counsel in the Islamabad High Court, seeking withdrawal of acquittal appeal in a reference pertaining to suspicious transaction worth Rs. 8 billion.

An accountability court (AC) had rejected his petition for withdrawal of acquittal plea in the reference, filed by National Accountability Bureau (NAB), last year. The Islamabad High Court (IHC) had issued a restraining order on the proceedings of the AC.

In the petition, Asif Ali Zardari has requested the court to allow him withdrawing of appeal. The petitioner also requested to remove restraining order on the proceedings of the accountability court.

Sources told ARY News that the PPP co-Chairman will file new plea for acquittal under the new NAB Ordinance.

According to the NAB reference, Mushtaq – who worked as a government employee in the President House from 2009 to 2013 – had allegedly provided Rs150 million for the construction. An illegal transaction of Rs8.3bn was carried out through a bank account of Mushtaq and the money was paid to Bahria Town.