Tribune Take: With NRO out, Presidential immunity not guaranteed

Since the courts rejected the NRO review petition, President Zardari may not have immunity.

In today’s episode of the Tribune Take we look at the latest rejection by the Supreme Court of the federal government’s review petition of the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO).

Irfan Ghauri, senior reporter from The Express Tribune Islamabad, says this rejection will "open up a new Pandora's box" for the current government. He says although article 248 of the Constitution of Pakistan grants the president immunity, since the NRO was dismissed by the Supreme Court as never having existed in the first place, immunity could also lie in the hands of the court. This leaves President Asif Ali Zardari open for prosecution.

According to Ghauri the government can ask Parliament to pass the NRO as a law, but there are obstacles to such an approach because the ruling Pakistan's Peoples Party (PPP) does not have a simple majority to pass such a law. Additionally, such a law could eventually be struck down by the courts as unconstitutional.

Read Irfan Ghauri’s articles here.

 

The Tribune Take daily news web show will appear on the tribune.com.pk home page.

The Take will feature in-depth interviews and analysis with editors and reporters who are covering the major stories, exploring front page events and major ledes. The news analysis covers the way The Express Tribune examines a story, how we cover it and why.