ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari celebrated on Sunday his acquittal in all nine references of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and being a ‘free man’ after 19 years litigation.

A number of senior party delegations visited Zardari House and congratulated their leader for his acquittal in the last case two days ago by an accountability court in Rawalpindi.

The case against the former president was based on a reference filed by the NAB during former president Pervez Musharraf’s government for allegedly acquiring assets through illegal means in Pakistan and abroad.

The request for Mr Zardari’s acquittal, submitted by his counsel and PPP leader Farooq H. Naek, was accepted by Justice Khalid Mahmood Ranjha, who ruled that the reference lacked a legal basis.

PPP co-chairman terms the court decision a victory of ‘Jiyalas’

The timing of Mr Zardari’s final acquittal is said to be quite significant as all political parties have started their ground work for the next general elections and after ouster of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in the Panama papers case by the Supreme Court.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Zardari termed his acquittal a victory of “Jiyalas”.

“It is a blessing of Allah Almighty that Jiyalas became victorious,” he added.

The PPP co-chairman said his party faced and fought those who had levelled baseless allegations against him. “Today heads of PPP workers are up with dignity,” he said.

PPP Senator Saeed Ghani said Mr Zardari’s acquittal had proved that he was an innocent man and had been implicated in baseless cases.

He said Mr Zardari’s victory would close the door of politics for all those who were using his name to meet their political designs.

Mr Ghani called Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan as “Corruption Khan” and asked him to first clarify allegation of corruption levelled against his father.

Published in Dawn, August 28th, 2017