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Islamabad: A court dismissed one of two corruption cases against Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday, his lawyer said, in a step towards clearing the way for him to hold government office.
Former prime minister Benazir Bhutto's led her Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) to election victory on February 18 and he is forming a coalition government with other parties.
Zardari's lawyer, Farooq Naik, said a court dismissed one of two cases against his client as it fell within the ambit of an October presidential ordinance that wiped out graft charges against Bhutto, Zardari and others, introduced as part of a power-sharing deal with Bhutto.
"The judge ordered he stand acquitted and the case stand terminated and withdrawn," Naik said.
A court would rule on the the final case against Zardari tomorrow, he said.
Zardari did not run in the February 18 vote, in which his party rode a wave of sympathy after Bhutto's murder on December 27. 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 Zardari has never been convicted, corruption cases have been hanging over him, raising doubts about his future.
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