The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Saturday fixed appeals of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) against newly appointed Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin’s acquittal in Sahiwal and Piraghaib rental power references for hearing on June 1. A two-judge bench headed by Justice Aamir Farooq will take up the appeals. The corruption watchdog challenged an accountability court’s verdicts of acquitting Tarin in the Piraghaib and Sahiwal Rental Power references. Last week, an IHC bench disposed of a plea seeking early hearing of the appeals. A two-member bench comprising Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Tariq Mahmood took up the application moved by Tarin. Justice Farooq said early hearing of the appeals is not possible due to SOPs put in place in light of the recent rise in Covid-19 infections in the federal capital. Tarin’s lawyer stated before the court that an accountability court acquitted former prime minister Pervaiz Ashraf, Tarin, and other accused. A total of seven accused were acquitted in the Piraghaib and Sahiwal Rental Power references, he added. “Shaukat Tarin is a member of the prime minister’s Economic Advisory Council,” the lawyer said, requesting the court to dispose of the NAB appeal against his client’s acquittal at the earliest.
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