KARACHI: Senate Chairman Yousaf Raza Gilani has been cleared of corruption charges in three cases related to the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) scandal. The Federal Anti-Corruption Court in Karachi announced the verdict, acquitting him of all allegations.
Gilani personally attended the hearing, where the judge informed him that a decision had been reached in the cases against him. Acknowledging the ruling, Gilani responded affirmatively.
At one point during the proceedings, the court humorously asked which prison he would prefer—Karachi, Multan, or Islamabad. In response, Gilani stated that he had no fear of imprisonment, remarking, “Prison is nothing new for us. If you wish, you may even sentence me to death.” His statement drew a smile from the judge.
When asked why he did not opt for house arrest, Gilani explained that his ancestral home was in Multan, his family lived in Lahore, and his Senate office was based in Islamabad. Upon the judge’s observation that the trial was taking place in Karachi, he quipped, “Then people will say my party has a government in Sindh.”
Announcing the verdict, the court ruled that no charges against Gilani had been substantiated, granting him an honourable acquittal. The judge also noted that some of those who had testified against him were now facing charges themselves.
Alongside Gilani, 40 other individuals accused in the TDAP corruption case were also acquitted. The former prime minister and several high-ranking TDAP officials had been accused of approving and distributing fraudulent trade subsidies. The case involved the disbursement of billions of rupees to bogus companies using falsified claims and backdated cheques during the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government’s tenure.
