Nandipur graft case: IHC tosses out NAB’s appeal against Babar Awan’s acquittal

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday dismissed the appeals of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) against acquittal of Adviser to the Prime Minister Babar Awan in the Nandipur Power Project case and upheld a decision of a trial court.

A division bench of the IHC also overturned the trial court’s decision to reject an acquittal plea of former secretary Masood Chishti.

The bench, comprising Chief Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Babar Sattar conducted a hearing on NAB’s appeals against the acquittal of Adviser to the Prime Minister Babar Awan and former secretary Riaz Kiyani in the Nandipur reference. The verdict was reserved on October 5, after listening arguments from both sides. Accountability Court Judge Arshad Malik had acquitted Awan and Kiayni on June 25 last year, and dismissed the acquittal plea of Masood Chishti in Nandipur case. NAB had challenged the acquittal of the accused before the IHC.