Prosecution directed to produce more witnesses in Babar Awan’s acquittal appeal

Prosecution directed to produce more witnesses in Babar Awan’s acquittal appeal

ISLAMABAD: An Accountability Court (AC) resuming the hearing of acquittal application filed by former law minister Dr Babar Awan directed the prosecution for producing more witnesses in the next hearing.

The AC judge Arshad Malik heard the case.

Awan starting the arguments said he was not called while formulating Nandipur commission in 2013 but was alleged after four years after the announcement of new cabinet.

He contended the court that he was not law minister at that time when the summary was forwarded to law ministry for approval.

The NAB prosecutor giving arguments briefed the court that Babar Awan had already filed acquittal application but was withdrawn at the time when the court was going to announce the verdict.

He contended that accused Babar Awan was supposed to brief that why the summary was not approved but he had read the charge sheet.

He said NAB would provide more witnesses and documentary evidences in the acquittal application as well as in the reference filed by NAB in Nandipur scam.

The court after listening to the parties adjourned the hearing of acquittal application till April 26, and Nandipur reference till May 6.

It is worth mentioning that in March Babar Awan unexpectedly withdrawn his acquittal plea at a time when accountability court judge Mohammad Arshad Malik was about to pass a verdict in the case.

Awan filed the application under Section 265-K of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) in the accountability court in October last year but withdrawn last month and recently filed the same petition again in AC.

 APP