Senate Chairman Gilani acquitted in three TDAP cases

A federal anti-corruption court in Karachi on Friday acquitted Senate Chairman Yousaf Raza Gilani and others in three cases pertaining to a multibillion-rupee Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) scandal.

Gilani, along with former TDAP chairman Tariq Iqbal Puri, former director general Abdul Karim Daudpota and others, had been booked in over two dozen cases for alleged involvement in approval and disbursement of freight subsidies worth billions of rupees to various firms through fake claims in violation of the prescribed procedure for the scheme.

On Friday, the Anti-Corruption Court-I (Central) judge announced the order after recording evidence and final arguments from both sides. She ruled that the prosecution failed to prove its cases against Gilani and others, exonerating them from all the charges. Gilani turned up at the court along with his lawyer Farooq H Naek.

According to the prosecution, the Ministry of Commerce had announced 25 per cent freight subsidies under the trade policy for 2002-03 to promote exports of non-traditional items that raked in less than $5 million in a year.

It alleged that Muhammad Zubair, former deputy secretary to the PM, had received an amount of Rs5 million from co-accused Faisal Siddiqui Khan, alleged frontman of former PM Gilani, for getting released a 25 per cent subsidy to existing and non-existing firms on the basis of fake claims, adding that the amount received was allegedly deposited in the former premier's account.

Naek contended that Gilani was booked in as many as 26 cases. The PPP leader was accused of taking a bribe of Rs5 million, but not a single witness mentioned his name, he added.

Speaking to the media, the Senate chairman said that the prosecution's key witness, who had turned approver in the case, was now an accused and had fled the country. "I have always followed the law. Those who instituted cases against me are now part of the coalition government," he added.

"We had introduced legislation to prevent political cases. We ensured that those who initiate wrongful legal proceedings would also face consequences. If someone provides false testimony and it is proven untrue, they should face the same action as the accused," he said.