NRO case: Khursheed Shah wants national debate on suo motu actions

Government reluctant to implement judgment, says PPP leader.


Z Ali November 27, 2011

HYDERABAD:


The Pakistan Peoples Party government still appears to be reluctant to fully implement the Supreme Court ruling which rejected the review petition on its earlier judgment which set aside the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO).


“President Asif Ali Zardari enjoys immunity,” said federal minister Khursheed Shah when asked if the government wrote a letter to the Swiss authorities to reopen the money-laundering cases. “We are waiting for the court’s complete order,” he added, however.

The Supreme Court struck down the NRO in December 2009, declaring it as void ab initio. On Friday, a 17-member bench of the apex court, while dismissing the federation’s review plea against its earlier judgment, directed the government to implement the judgment “in letter and spirit” and without any further delay.

While talking to the media at the Sindh Engineers Convention on Saturday, Khursheed Shah, who is also chief whip of the party in the National Assembly, claimed that the government has completely implemented the court’s judgment, except the part relating to the president.

Apparently unhappy over Friday’s judgment, he asked why the court, while taking suo motu notice on every other issue, does not take action questioning the rule by military dictators for 40 years. “A national debate is now necessary on these suo motu actions,” he said.

He justified the decision to file a review petition, saying that it aimed at ‘correcting the record’ but that, “the PPP never supported the NRO which ceased to exist after the signing of the Charter of Democracy.”

The federal minister denied media reports that PPP leaders met in Islamabad on Friday and decided against reopening the NRO cases involving the president. “We only discussed the political situation, law and order, the opposition’s walkout in parliament, etc. at the meeting.”

Shah cautioned that the PPP would go to the ‘people’s court’ if any unconstitutional attempt was made to overthrow the government.

He also came down hard on Nawaz Sharif, accusing him of trying to make parliament a rubber stamp institution. “They have gone to court instead of discussing important issues in parliament,” he said with reference to a petition filed by the PML-N on the memo-gate scandal.

Shah said Hussain Haqqani has resigned but that he has the right to a ‘free trial’ and that the prime minister will soon announce a team to probe the issue.

It is a conspiracy against Pakistan and not just any particular institution, he added. The federal minister also criticised the Punjab government’s yellow-cab scheme, saying that with Rs12 billion, allocated, the energy-deficient province could have produced 1,200 megawatts of electricity. “On every single issue the PML-N comes up with the demand for a commission but never once have they asked for an inquiry into the energy crisis by a high-level commission,” he said.

Nisar Khuhro

Separately, at a press conference, Sindh Assembly Speaker Nisar Khuhro echoed the same views of resisting any subversive act with the help of government’s political allies.

He said, “No one has moved the court to question the immunity enjoyed by the president”.

Khuhro referenced Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan’s interpretation of immunity, saying that Article 248 of the constitution exempts presidents from prosecution in criminal cases.

Meanwhile, provincial minister Rafique Engineer, while talking to journalists at Circuit House, said the NRO (case) was a conspiracy against democracy as some political parties wanted a judicial martial law in the country. “In order to show justice, the court should also take up the pending case of Air Marshall (retd) Asghar Khan and also take up the short order on the Punjab government,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 27th, 2011.

COMMENTS

Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ