KARACHI: An anti-corruption court on Friday acquitted Senate Chairman Yousuf Raza Gilani and several othersin three cases related to a multibillion-rupee trade subsidy scandal, citing a lack of evidence.

The former prime minister, along with former and serving officials of the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) including ex-chairman Tariq Iqbal Puri and former director general Abdul Karim Daudpota was accused of fraudulently approving and disbursing trade subsidies worth billions to fake companies throughfictitious claims and backdated cheques under the PPPgovernment at the Centre.

In 2018, charges wereframed against Mr Gilani, Mr Puri, Mr Daudpota, former deputysecretary(personal)to the PM Mohammad Zubair, and around 20 others.However, after hearing arguments from both sides and reviewing the evidence, Special Federal Anti-Corruption Court Judge Dr Shahbana Waheed acquitted the accused in three cases on Friday.

Despite the acquittal, 23 more cases with similar allegations remain pending.

Speaking to reporters,defence counsel Farooq H.

Naek said the judge had stated that charges against Mr Gilani couldnotbe proven.

He recalled that in 2009, allegations were made that Mr Gilani had accepted a Rs5 million bribe through his personal secretary.

Later, the PML-N government merged 26 cases into a single allegation,leadingto an FIR being registered in 2013.

He pointed out that Mr Gilani`s name was not initially included in the FIR or interim challan, but was added in 2015 when the final challan was submitted.

`These cases have dragged on for 12 years, and today, a verdict has been finally delivered,` he said, adding that nowitness testified against Mr Gilani in the court.

`No grievances` Speaking to the media outside the court, Mr Gilani said the inquiry was initiated against him in 2009 and then the case was officially registered in 2013.

`Since then, the witness who turned approver and gave a statement against me has now become an accused and has fled the country,` he said.

Regarding the cases registered against him, he stated that it was the coalition referring to the PML-N government that was responsible for filing them.

`We have no grievances against them. We are still supporting the government. We stand with them, and we will not backstab them,` he said.

When asked whether he was disappointed by the Senate or the government for not producing a detained senator despite his directive, Mr Gilani said: `This is not my first tenure in parliament. Whether as speaker of the National Assembly, Senate chairman or prime minister, I have always upheld parliamentary rules,` he said.

`If an honourable member is in jail, then according to the law and rules, I can issue a production order.

This has been happening in the National Assembly, and I have done it as well. However, the production order was not implemented, which has disrupted the environment of parliament,` he said.

He added that he would personally issue fresh production orders for another detained senator if the government failed to act.

FIA charge sheet The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had chargesheeted Mr Gilani in 25 out of over 70 cases related to the trade subsidy scandal in 2014.

According to the FIA`s final investigation report, the Ministry of Commerce had announced a 25 per cent freight subsidy under its 2002-03 trade policy to promote the export of non-traditional items, which brought less than $5m annually.

The FIA report also found that of the 48 companies that received subsidies, 22 did not exist, while the remaining were ineligible for government support.