Pakistan

Opinions sought: President seeks to reappoint NAB chief

Zardari writes letter to PM, opposition leader seeking their opinion on the appointment of Justice Deedar.

Zia Khan/sarfaraz Memon/hafeez Tunio/faraz Khan March 12, 2011

ISLAMABAD:

As protests in Karachi turned violent and a strike paralysed Sindh, President Asif Ali Zardari sought the advice of the prime minister and the parliamentary opposition leader on re-appointing Justice (retd) Deedar Hussain Shah as chairman of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Friday, a day after the Supreme Court ordered his removal.

Zardari wrote separate letters to Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and National Assembly Opposition Leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan to seek their opinion as part of a consultative process “mandatory for such an appointment,” said a spokesperson for the president.

The move came a day after the Supreme Court declared illegal the appointment of Deedar as the head of the country’s top accountability body in response to a petition filed by Nisar, arguing he was never consulted when Shah was first appointed last year, as is constitutionally required.

The president’s letters suggest that the government has decided to create a paper trail in the appointment of the NAB chief. The 18th Amendment to the constitution mandates that head of NAB be appointed by the prime minster in consultation with the parliamentary opposition leader. This provision was added to the constitution to help prevent the NAB chief position being given to a partisan who would ‘selectively’ pursue corruption cases against the opposition.

The president made an attempt to allay one of Nisar’s objections on Deedar that he was once affiliated with the ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), an association that makes an individual ineligible for such positions. Zardari argued Deedar remained affiliated with the PPP long before he was appointed a judge in the Sindh High Court.

“He was appointed as Judge Sindh High Court keeping in view his vast professional experience and unquestionable integrity,” the President’s letter said. “A person of integrity and sound knowledge normally severs his past connections with the political party with which he had affiliation and decides the matter purely on merits.”

Zardari also reminded Nisar that the leader of the Pakistan Muslim League, former premier Nawaz Sharif, had once expressed confidence in the integrity of Deedar.

While the letter only sought Nisar’s opinion, the president’s arguments suggest that he wants Nisar to withdraw his objections to Deedar Hussain’s appointment.

Upper Sindh paralysed by PPP protest

A complete shutter-down strike was observed on Friday across northern Sindh against the Supreme Court verdict invalidating the appointment of chairman of NAB.

The strike affected nearly all districts in Sindh, including Sukkur, Ghotki, Mirpur, Jacobabad and Shikarpur. In Karachi, commercial activity came to a grinding halt as public transport remained thin and all government and private schools and petrol pumps remained closed.

The strike was said to be partial and armed men roaming around on motorcycles gunned down at least six people, wounded several others and torched over a dozen vehicles in various localities. The most affected areas in the metropolis included Lyari, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Pehalwan Goth, Keamari, Pak Colony, Steel Town and Malir.

The University of Karachi also postponed its examinations due to be held on Friday.

Two buses were set on fire in the SITE area, a minibus in Mehmoodabad, a car near Dhobi Ghat, another at Burns Road, two cars at a showroom in the New Town area and a trawler at the Godown Chowrangi in Korangi. Killings were reported in Khadda Market, Mauripur Road, Korangi, Lyari, Orangi, and near the KMC Workshop in Eidgah.

Rangers and police were seen patrolling the streets. There was no report of anyone being arrested for being involved in firing or arson incidents.

Meanwhile, PPP lawmakers in Sindh termed the Supreme Court verdict invalidating NAB chief’s appointment a Punjabi judgement, declaring it to be illegal and unconstitutional. The onslaught against the judiciary was led by Sindh Home Minister Zulfiqar Mirza and Sharjeel Inam Memon. Legislators marched about a hundred yards to the main gate of the Sindh High Court amid strict security, shouting slogans against the superior judiciary.

Courts in Karachi, including the Malir District Bar, worked normally and lawyers condemned the PPP.

In the Sindh Assembly, a resolution was unanimously passed against the petition filed by Chaurdary Nisar Ali Khan, which struck down the appointment of the NAB chief.

During the assembly session, Sharjeel Inam Memon read the resolution: “Sindh Assembly express dismay over the petition of PML-N MNA Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan about Syed Deedar Hussain Shah and resolve that his partial and discriminatory attitude is damaging for the inter-provincial harmony and…pays tribute to Syed Deedar Hussain Shah.”

Terming the apex court’s verdict biased, Memon said that people living in Sindh “are confused and depressed” following a number of verdicts by the Supreme Court “against people from this province”.

Citing several cases which were pending before the superior judiciary, including the Mehran Bank scandal, Hudaibia Paper Mill and murder cases of people who lost their lives in the fight to restore the sitting chief justice of the Supreme Court, Memon said: “Our (honourable) judges have time only to proceed cases against the government.”

Later, PPP-MPAs unanimously passed the resolution. Members of the PML-F and the PML-Q abstained. Lawmakers of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) continued to boycott the assembly proceedings.

Suo moto action against
Jang Group

Sindh Home Minister Zulfiqar Mirza urged the Supreme Court to take suo moto action against the Jang group which, according to him, had tried to create “disharmony” among people of Sindh and Balochistan by publishing a “concocted story”.

“The paper (The News) has tried to create an impression that judges from Balochistan have given the order,” he said, adding that the judges, including Justice Javeed Iqbal and Justice Raja Fayyaz Ahmed, were Punjabi settlers who were at one time living in the Balochistan. According to him, they had now moved back to Punjab.

MQM reaction

The Muttahidda Qaumi Movement’s (MQM) Coordination Committee denounced incidents of armed violence and accused the government of backing “terrorists who had deprived people of cash and other valuables at gunpoint” during the strike.

An MQM statement said that these “armed outlaws” had been repulsed by the people, who had also rejected “lawlessness and mayhem under official patronage”.

The coordination committee urged the people of the province to rise up to the occasion, adding that divine justice was “slow to come, but all evildoers will surely be held accountable for their evil deeds”.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 12^th, 2011.

COMMENTS (24)

Javaid | 13 years ago | Reply It is so idiotic and thats what PPP wants to make it a provincial issue and become martyres. Since they haven't done anything in their 3 years tenure, now they are looking ways to get fired from the Govt. and become Shaheeds. Its not a provincial issue at all. people of Pakistan must become Pakistanis first otherwise Corrupt Politicians like these either from one party or another will keep playing this game of Divide and rule. Who suffers most are the Pakistanis no matter whatever provice they belong to. Politicians unfortunately had been playing this game for a long time now. I haven't seen any example in the world where a Government is going on street against their on Supreme court.People would laugh as they would hear that. President , like always , not following the law, appointed Justice Deedar Shah WITHOUT CONSULTATION from the OPPOSITION head Ch. Nisar Khan. According to the 18th Amendement , President is bound to consult the Opposition leader in Parliament for this appointment. Zardari by passed him and Ch. Nisar went to court and filed a petition for violating the selection procedure for the Appointment of the NAB chairman. Supreme court according to the constitution's 18th Amendment ruled in favor of the Opposition leader. So the issue is simple. Send the name back to opposition leader for consultation. Why to come on the street and making it a Sindhi isuue? Just one simple reason, NO Governance ability. Simple as this.

salim | 13 years ago | Reply @Independent from UK: In favor of petitions against take over and 3 times oath under PCO.

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Sindhi. | 13 years ago | Reply @Fayyaz: By the way whom you vote? And have you any problem from Sindhis?

Fayyaz | 13 years ago | Reply Has PPP not made Mr. Deedar a controvertial political figure after calling strike in his favour.

shahid | 13 years ago | Reply i wonder who could be the person approved by both parties.please define consultation before ruling against the govt.

Iftikhar-ur-Rehman | 13 years ago | Reply I sincerely hope that once again the opposition leader will reject DEEDAR's nomination.If he agrees to the nomination then the case was not about DEEDAR but EGO as he was not properly consulted. If Ch. Nisar agrees then CJ should take suo moto against him and recover the cost of the entire case plus fine.

Khan | 13 years ago | Reply Once, for once, please show us that you really care about peoples interests, rather then your own vested interests. GOD bless people(minus parliamentarians) of Pakistan.

shaharyar | 13 years ago | Reply Thieves are appointing investigators to investigate their own crimes

U Hussein | 13 years ago | Reply Why is the Supreme Court playing politics? It si clear that the court has become very biased against one party only and that is the PPP. Deedar Shah has an impeccable reputation for being honest and staighforward. He has an excellent record in the Sindh High Court as well as Supreme Court of Pakistan. Why this one sided judgement? Is it because he comes from one particular province and not the majority province where PML-N happens to be ruling? President Zardari should re-appoint Justice Deedar Shah. Supreme Court has no right to play politics and give judgements that are favourable to the party that rules in Punjab. Let the court act like the Supreme Court of Pakistan and not the Supreme Court of Punjab.

Fayyaz | 13 years ago | Reply Now what else PPP wants. No other political party stands with them on this issue. It is also becoming a provincial and racist party souting slogans like sindhi sindhi and sindhi. A gang of thugs want control over SCP decisions. It is pitty strange being, a government itself, one say why supreme court donot take action against that and that and that. You can make fool of those who already are fool enough to believe it. You are government why are you protecting all corrupt. Why are you not implimenting all decisions of SCP. PPP should thank their voters who also donot want rule of law. With due respect of the voters of PPP (about 37 million of pakistani votes are bogus, what voters) and voters of all other parties do they still expect from these parties any kind of betterment of the nation. These parties are there for decades. Lame excuses always lame execuses. If our true leader Quid e Azam was like that, Pakistan would not have came into being. He definitly had more excuses. English were against the making of Pakistan. Indians created hurdles on my way. They didnot let me work hard and I failed to make a country for muslims of subcontinent. Hah only fools can be fooled. Pitty on voters of PPP.

Independent from UK | 13 years ago | Reply @salim: Enlighten all of us please.

parvez | 13 years ago | Reply Mr Zardari like most of our politicians have no moral rectitude dna in their blood system. They have a gamblers dna, street smart dna, bullys dna and they work accordingly and this, I feel, is understood by the SC.

salim | 13 years ago | Reply @umar: A CJ who violated the constitution 5 TIMES in the past!

Rakesh | 13 years ago | Reply The president is effectively making a case that "a person of integrity", whatever that is, will never be in a position whereby he/she will have to face "conflict of interest"! There's a good chance that NAB will have to take up cases against members of PPP, appointing a person who has openly belonged to the same party would only undermine the credibility of institution. The most curious part here is that why PPP is not backing down, as they have in the past, to the decision made by Supreme Court. There seems to be something special about Mr. Deedar here.

Independent from UK | 13 years ago | Reply Asif Zardari is showing early signs of giving in to the verdict of the SC. It was insane, in the very first instance, to take on the SC when the government has no high moral ground. The track record of AZ shows that he is devoid of common sense and he has remained at variance with the feelings of masses. I sincerely hope he will comply with the orders of the SC otherwise not only him but the whole PPP will have to pay a very heavy price.

Farhan | 13 years ago | Reply @sadiq khan: Khan sb. If I correct you, actually PPP has not been digested to some quarters in Pakistan since essence, the reason is also very clear. Please note this is only democratic party of this country, with representation in whole country others haven`t it. All the parliamentarian of PPP are not good, I agree with you but you cannot blame the whole party, which smell something.

Billoo Bhaya | 13 years ago | Reply Why do we lament that our nation no longer functions? When we cast our vote for people who are crooks, we too are crooks by voting against the best interests of the state. Many a state has dissapeared over time. The Great Persian Empire of Cyrus and Darius, the Hittities, Pharoah's of Egypt, Alexander of Macedonia, Ottomans of Turkey and the Moguls of India. At the rate we are going Pakistan we too will disappear not to be mourned. Just as East Pakistan did.

Naila soomro | 13 years ago | Reply The chief justice of Pakistan has taken daring steps agaisnt the contract employees and extentions given to different people after tehir retirement. But my humble request is that what how about Chief of Army Staff and DG ISI, who have also been given extention in their jobs. Will our bold CJ take action against them ????

umar | 13 years ago | Reply Now it is time for Pakistan people to decide with whom, they stand, they want justice or not, whether they like so called democracy or rule of justice? It is not the opinion of Mr shahbaz sharif only, that a consortia of powerful institutions be formed including army judiciary and politics now whole government set up be set in Pakistan, now this opinion the gaining its foots in mind of many peoples that this may be the solutions. Perhaps our politician are not thinking that Chief justice is serving this system by pointing out problem in it, he is creating vent in so that pressure be released and system works smoothly and people of paksitan should have confidence in system other wise our system must be burst and be replaced by any other which is more efficient due to its inefficiency. When any one obey court order when government is not obeying ?

imran shirazi | 13 years ago | Reply The ppp through its actions has proven that it is a racist party.They've unfairly targetted the judiciary with ethnic propaganda to hide their own corruption.

sadiq khan | 13 years ago | Reply zardari's ppp has embarked on a path towards pakistan's breakup. their motto is:Allow us to loot & plunder pakistan's wealth & we're with you; if you try to stop our corruption then its "pakistan na khappay". The ppp with its racist actions over the past 2 days has exposed its real face.They have no love or commitment to pakistan. If their corruption is stopped ,they play the "sindh card" & blackmail the courts & army by threatening to break up pakistan.

SYED ADEEB | 13 years ago | Reply The new NAB Chairman should be appointed by the Pakistan Parliament or by the Supreme Court of Pakistan. The President or the PM should NOT have any power to appoint the NAB Chairman, because any NAB Chairman appointed by the President or the PM will never properly investigate or prosecute the President or the PM for their crimes and corruption.

Tariq Ahmad | 13 years ago | Reply Surely, if Zardari, Nawaz, Mushraff and others bring all the looted money back, Pakistan wont have these issues.

Zahid | 13 years ago | Reply Rightly pointed out by Sharjeed, why the cases of murder of people who led their lives for the restoration of Judiciary are not being proceeded ??

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