The National Accountability Bureau on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that Swiss cases against former president and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari could not be reopened as they were “time-barred and their statutory limitation period had elapsed”.
The apex court on July 4 had sought details of assets of former presidents Zardari and Pervez Musharraf while hearing a case regarding the recovery of losses incurred due to the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO).
The anti-corruption watchdog submitted a two-page report to the apex court, detailing its findings on the NRO as well as the cases against Zardari.
In its report, the anti-graft body stated that “the federal government’s failure to file a timely appeal meant that the cases against Asif Zardari are now time-barred.”
“Swiss officials have excused themselves from reopening the cases as they are now out of date,” NAB said.
The report also mentioned a list of pending cases against Zardari.
“There are five pending cases against Asif Zardari in high courts, including an assets-related case that has been in the Lahore High Court since 2015,” NAB told the court.
Moreover, four other cases have been pending in the Islamabad High Court for the last few years, the NAB added.
The NAB further said that it had found no evidence of the NRO causing any financial loss to the national exchequer.
Published in Daily Times, August 9th 2018.
