SC orders govt to write letter to Swiss authorities


Express May 25, 2010

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) instructed the government on Tuesday to write a letter to Swiss authorites for reopening the money laundering cases.

The government said it will comply with the court orders.

The Supreme Court resumed hearing of the suo motu notice taken earlier to examine the implementation of the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) verdict.

The Federal Law Minister Babar Awan, along with other federal ministers, appeared before court to describe the government’s stance on the implementation of the verdict. Awan said the government respects the judiciary and does not want any clash with it.

Justice Nasirul Mulk who is heading the bench observed that the statements given by the government on the case have so far been vague.

Awan claimed that the former Attorney General wrote a letter to Swiss officials without getting an approval by the federal government. He added that the Swiss court announced the case verdict in the absence of the accused.

When questioned about the NAB chairman's dismissal, Awan said his sacking will take weeks, not months.

The hearing was adjourned till June 10th.

COMMENTS (14)

Nabeel | Create Your First Website | 13 years ago | Reply How About passing the Anti-Money laundering Bill? On 4th May, users of Payoneer Debit Master Card received an email notifying that due to a change in requirements from their regulators, as of June 1, 2010 Payoneer cards will be blocked for transactions in the countries listed by the US government as having strategic Anti Money Laundering (AML) deficiencies. This card is used by freelancers all over Pakistan to receive payments for the services they provide in various freelancing sites. According to an article by Methtab Haider from The News, the Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Ordinance lapsed on March 26, 2010 as the bill was not passed by the upper house of parliament, which was prorogued recently, shattering all hopes that Islamabad would come out of the list of countries vulnerable to money laundering. Asia Pacific Group on Financial Action Task Force (FATF) had given Pakistan February 2010 as deadline for formal conversion of the ordinance into the Act of Parliament. Now, the FATF is scheduled to meet at Amsterdam in June 2010, and the passage of the Anti-Money Laundering and Combating Terrorist Financing Act from parliament before that could help Pakistan improve its international ranking. Why is this bill still not passed? Every freelancer, will face difficulties in receiving payments after June 1, 2010 if the bill is not passed, as this was the most efficient way of receiving payments. I request the upper house of parliament to pass this bill before June 1, as the National Assembly had already passed the AML bill but the bill could not be passed from the Senate.
DR RIZWAN | 13 years ago | Reply Everything is plan, they are actor(including CJ) and we are stupid viewers wasting our time and nothing. we need revolution like china ...
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