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Today's Paper | December 23, 2024

Updated 08 Aug, 2018 09:35pm

Swiss cases against Zardari cannot be reopened, NAB tells Supreme Court

The National Accountability Bureau on Wednesday told the Supreme Court of Pakistan that Swiss cases against PPP co-chairman President Asif Ali Zardari cannot be reopened as they were time-barred and their statutory limitation period has elapsed, DawnNewsTV reported.

On July 4, the SC had sought details of assets of former presidents Zardari and Pervez Musharraf while hearing a case regarding the recovery of losses incurred because of the infamous National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO).

Read: The history of the Swiss case

The NAB today submitted a two-page report to the apex court, detailing its findings on the NRO as well as the cases against Zardari.

The bureau, in its report, 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"Swiss officials have excused themselves from reopening the cases as they are now out of date," NAB said.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 corruption watchdog, in its report, also included a list of pending cases against Zardari in Pakistan courts.

"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 informed the court.

Moreover, four other cases — the SGS, Cotecna, Ursus tractors and ARY gold import — 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.

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