Pakistan

NRO review: Govt hires former law minister

Government hires former law minister Dr Khalid Ranjha to argue its case before the Supreme Court.

Zahid Gishkori April 10, 2011

ISLAMABAD:

With the review petition against the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) verdict being admitted for hearing from Monday, the government has hired former law minister Dr Khalid Ranjha to argue its case before the Supreme Court.

The government made the surprise move on Saturday, a day after the chief justice constituted a seventeen-member bench of the Supreme Court to take up the NRO review case.

Ranjha will raise various issues which were not addressed in the detailed NRO judgment. The government will also seek the court’s permission to change its lawyer.

“I will represent the federation for the NRO review if the court permits,” Ranjha told The Express Tribune. “I am already representing some prosecutors of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in this case.”

Legal experts believe that the change of lawyer likely to create complications for the government since the Supreme Court’s rules do not permit it.

“I will not appear to argue for the NRO’s review under any circumstances even if I am requested by President Asif Ali Zardari,” said Kamal Azfar, who represented the federation in NRO cases last year. “The chief justice asked me to appear before the court on Monday. I will therefore obey his order.”

Advocate on Record, Raja Abdul Ghafoor said he would not file the application for a change of lawyer because the chief justice had passed an order in his chamber that the apex court considers Kamal Azfar’s as the government’s representative in the NRO’s review case in accordance with the Supreme Court’s rules.

“How can I bypass the court’s order and file an application for a change of advocate on behalf of the law ministry?” he asked.

Ranjha will replace Latif Khosa who was representing the federation in the NRO’s review case, before his appointment as Governor Punjab. Law Minister Babar Awan selected Ranjha after a meeting with him and Secretary Law Masood Chishti in which they agreed to contest the case with the assistance of constitutional experts including Attorney General Anwarul Haq.

The records of all the NRO cases are being thoroughly scrutinised. The Law and Justice Division of the ministry is in the process of determining their status,” a senior official told The Express Tribune. All provinces in their written replies informed the Law Ministry that not a single case was dropped under the NRO in any court, he added.

The ministry after a suo motu notice by the chief justice wrote to the Sindh government for clarification, “How is it possible that no case was closed under the NRO when it is on record that more than 7,000 cases were dropped in this province?”

The Supreme Court declared the NRO unconstitutional on December 16, 2009. Former president Pervez Musharraf had promulgated the ordinance to whitewash the corruption committed by thousands of politicians and bureaucrats. Law Secretary Masood Chishti had petitioned the Supreme Court to review its decision on the NRO last year.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 10^th, 2011.

COMMENTS (6)

realise | 13 years ago | Reply @Hasan I just wanted to say that reporter's job is to provide new information to the readers/ viewers. Hope you will understand my point. I'm not advocating for the author of this story. My objective was to explain the job nature of a reporter, which i think, the author done his job here because he gave something new to his newspaper. "My point will not hurt you Hasan."

Hasan | 13 years ago | Reply @realise: Dear Realise, I am finding it difficult to understand what you are actually trying to say. Perhaps you can explain to me the article in point form. H

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realise | 13 years ago | Reply @Hasan Sorry to say man, I think, you never know the skill of reporting in journalism. Reporter’s job is to give new information. Reporter has nothing to do with opinion of the people as he has not to write for editorial pages. I think reporter done a great job here. This is not an article. This is story man! Pls always sit on the fence, never be biased. Being reader of a serious newspaper, pls make headway in your thoughts. Leave personal grudges and remember ——Regardless of your lot in life, you can build something beautiful on it———–

Hasan | 13 years ago | Reply @realize: Dear Realize, Firstly, "What you are looking for is called personal opinion, not reporting..." Are you serious.... why would I be interested in the opinion of a reporter; an investigative journalist perhaps, but certainly not a reporter. Secondly, I think you will find (at least if it was being taught at a reputable university) that reporting is about obtaining facts and opinions and then presenting them in a coherent manner - a manner that allows the reader (even a reader who may be unfamiliar with the reported topic) to fully comprehend the topic being reported. Thirdly, the confusion that this article creates leaves the reader none the wiser as to the relevant issues associated with the Government's legal representation at the NRO review. Finally, I never did learn to read Urdu so for me to pick up such a newspaper would be rather pointless.

realize | 13 years ago | Reply @Hasan: What you are looking for is called personal opinion, not reporting.... Urdu newspapers better suit your taste.

Hasan | 13 years ago | Reply To the author of this article. You have written a very confusing article! Each sentence provides information BUT this information does not flow. You mention Ranjha but fail to state his opinion as to whether the SC will allow him to represent the Government. You mention Kamal Azfar as representing the Government last year but fail to ask his opinion about the about-mentioned advocate representing the Government. You mention Raja Abdul Ghafoor and state that he would not file the application for a change of lawyer - does this mean that he will still represent the Government? There are so many faults with this article - I could continue further but there is little point. Please in future write an article that not only flows but also make sense.

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