RAWALPINDI, Nov 30: Accountability courts on Friday once again adjourned hearings in the acquittal petitions of Benazir Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari in different corruption references with the observation that the future of the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) hangs in the balance in the Supreme Court.

In the absence of defence lawyer Farooq H. Naek, his associate Arshad Tabraiz advocate represented the Pakistan People’s Party Chairperson Benazir Bhutto and others, whereas National Accountability Bureau (NAB) was represented by Prosecutor General Dr Danishwar Malik and Deputy Prosecutor General Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta in three courts.

The judges said they could not decide on the acquittal applications under the indemnity ordinance as the SC in its October 12 interim order linked any benefit under the NRO to the disposal of all the petitions challenging the legality of the law.

The PPP leaders have moved petitions seeking acquittal in 11 corruption cases under the NRO that granted indemnity to all public office holders from corruption cases registered prior to October 1999. On Friday courts heard nine cases.

Accountability Court No. 2 Judge Chaudhry Mohammad Younas has been hearing petitions in two references related to ARY Gold and SGS, a Swiss company. In both cases Benazir and Asif Zardari were given three years imprisonment in absentia.

In ARY Gold case, the owner of the group Haji Abdur Rehman and brothers are co-accused and in SGS reference former Central Board of Revenue chairman A.R. Siddiqui is a co-accused.

Accountability Court No. 3 Judge Saghir Ahmed Qadri has been dealing with acquittal applications in BMW and Cotecna, another Swiss company, references.

In the first case, Asif Ali Zardari is the main accused, whereas in the second case Benazir Bhutto is the chief accused.

The court No. 4 judge, Khalid Mehmood, is hearing applications about five different corruption references, i.e. Polo Ground, Ursus Tractors, unlawful assets and two misappropriation of money cases.

In the Pologround case the prominent accused are Asif Ali Zardari, former CDA chairman Shafeh Sahwani and ex-commissioner Islamabad Saeed Mehdi. In the tractors reference the couple is accused.

In the unlawful assets reference, Nusrat Bhutto is a co- accused.

In this case the court has pronounced Asif Zardari as proclaimed offender. Former FIA chief Rehman Malik is accused in the two misappropriation cases. He was declared a proclaimed offender and awarded three years imprisonment for not appearing in each case.