Government anti-corruption chief refuses court order to arrest Pakistani PM in graft case

ISLAMABAD – The head of the Pakistani government’s anti-corruption wing has refused an order by the country’s top court to arrest the prime minister in a graft case.

Fasih Bokhari, chief of the National Accountability Bureau, told the Supreme Court on Thursday that he does not have sufficient evidence to arrest Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf.

The court ordered Bokhari on Tuesday to arrest Ashraf and 15 others accused of corruption in a case involving private power stations built to provide electricity to energy-starved Pakistan.

The accusations against the prime minister, which he has denied, stem from his time as the minister for water and power.

The court ordered Bokhari on Thursday to bring the case files back to the judges so they can determine whether there is incriminating evidence.

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