ISLAMABAD. The Accountability Court on Tuesday granted time to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for submitting its reply regarding acquittal application filed by former premier Yousaf Raza Gilani under the National Accountability (second amendment) Ordinance 2021 in a corruption reference of award of alleged illegal advertising contract to a private advertising agency against him and others.

Accountability Court-II judge Muhammad Azam Khan while hearing the case approved the NAB’s request to grant it time for submitting its reply. The court directed the NAB to submit its reply with respect to the acquittal application filed by Gilani till the next hearing to be held on May 16.

NAB prosecutor Usman Masood, Gilani, and other accused’s counsels appeared before the court.

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At the start of the hearing, Gillani’s counsel filed an application before the court seeking one-day exemption of his client which the court approved.

The NAB had filed a reference against Gilani and others in the Accountability Court for alleged misuse of authority in illegal publicity campaign, causing a loss of Rs128 million to the national exchequer.

According to the NAB, in the 26th USF meeting dated December 28, 2011, accused Gilani, being then minister in-charge for IT and chairman USF, directed to run a media campaign for highlighting the achievements of the USF.

The story was originally published in Business Recorder on April 20, 2022.