ISLAMABAD: An accountability court on Tuesday acquitted former prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf, former finance minister Shaukat Tareen and others accused in the Pir Ghaib Rental Power reference.
Judge Muhammad Bashir announced his verdict on applications of the former prime minister and others seeking acquittal in the case. The other acquitted included Shaukat Tareen, Ismail Qureshi, Shahid Rafi, Tahir Basharat Cheema, Muhammad Saleem Arif, Chaudhry Abdul Qadeer, and Iqbal Ali Shah.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had filed the Piraghaib Rental Power reference in 2014, accusing Raja Pervez Ashraf of misusing his powers in his capacity as water and power minister to gain financial benefits in the project.
READ MORE: Raja Pervez Ashraf acquitted in Rental Power Plant reference
Announcing the verdict, the judge remarked there had been no loss inflicted on the national exchequer and thus no reference could not be made against the accused. The PPP leader has submitted a plea for acquittal in the case.
Last week, the court had acquitted the former prime minister, Tareen as well as all eight other accused nominated in the Sahiwal Rental Power Reference.
Ashraf argued that NAB has no evidence against charges of any financial benefits or kickbacks for Rental Power Projects (RPPs) while procedural loopholes could not be considered corruption.
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