PAKISTAN:A PAKISTANI court dismissed one of two corruption cases against the widower of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto yesterday, his lawyer said, in a step towards clearing the way for him to hold government office.
Bhutto's husband, Asif Ali Zardari, led her Pakistan People's Party (PPP) to election victory on February 18th and he is forming a coalition government with other parties.
Mr Zardari's lawyer, Farooq Naik, said a court dismissed one of two outstanding cases against his client as it fell within the ambit of an October presidential ordinance that wiped out graft charges against Bhutto, Mr Zardari and others, introduced as part of a powersharing deal with Bhutto.
"The judge ordered he stand acquitted and the case stand terminated and withdrawn," Mr Naik told reporters. Mr Naik said a court would rule on the final case against Mr Zardari tomorrow.
Mr Zardari did not run in the February 18th vote, in which his party rode a wave of sympathy after Bhutto's murder on December 27th. The party finished with the most seats but not enough to rule alone.
Pakistanis convicted of a crime are barred from standing for election and while Mr Zardari has never been convicted, corruption cases have been hanging over him, raising doubts about his future.
A prime minister and cabinet members must be elected to parliament. Although Mr Zardari has said he would not try to become prime minister, in recent days some members of his party have called for him to go for the top job, raising speculation he might try to win a seat in a byelection and become prime minister.
Mr Naik said a high court in Bhutto's home province of Sindh had also ordered the government's anti-graft agency to withdraw all cases against Mr Zardari in foreign countries.
Both Bhutto and Mr Zardari had faced corruption cases in Switzerland and Spain. -