Pakistan's ex-PM Gilani, 25 others indicted for corruption

An anti-corruption court here on Thursday indicted former Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and 25 others in a corruption case pertaining to the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP).

All the accused, however, pleaded not guilty against the charges. The former Prime Minister called the allegations "baseless", Dawn online reported.

Gilani and some former and serving senior TDAP officials, along with a few others, were accused of causing a loss of billions of rupees to the national exchequer through the approval and disbursement of fake and trade subsidies during the previous PPP government.

The Federal Investigation Agency had chargesheeted Gilani in around 25 out of over 70 cases pertaining to the trade subsidy scam.

The former Prime Minister's counsel Barrister Farooq H. Naek stated that his client was charged with corruption of Rs 4.9 million in 26 cases, but maintained that all the allegations were "untrue" and that the cases were "political revenge".

The others indicted include Tariq Iqbal Puri, who headed TDAP from October 1, 2010 to July 7, 2012; Ex-TDAP Director General (facilitation) Abdul Karim Daudpota and other TDAP employees.

Ten of the 25 indicted were proclaimed offenders.

--IANS

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