Apex court to weigh its options today on Swiss letter
Proceedings against Ashraf be initiated for giving statement he will not write a letter to the Swiss authorities.
ISLAMABAD:
After the ouster of former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani by the Supreme Court for defying its orders, a three-judge bench will resume its hearing of the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) implementation case on June 27.
The court can exercise a number of options as previously declared, including a commission to execute its order by writing a letter to the Swiss authorities to open graft cases against President Asif Ali Zardari.
Although the court has already decided Gilani’s fate, the disqualified premier will be the focus of Wednesday’s proceedings because of his alleged misuse of power by appointing a friend to the slot of the Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) chairperson.
Besides the court’s six options, legal experts are also hinting at alternative ways to communicate with Swiss authorities. Khalid Anwar, a senior Supreme Court lawyer, told The Express Tribune that the court could ask the attorney general or its own registry to write a letter for the implementation of the order.
A senior lawyer said that during the trial of former prime minister Gilani, the seven-judge bench also hinted that it could also exercise all its options.
Meanwhile, an application has been filed in the Supreme Court on Tuesday praying that contempt proceedings against the incumbent prime minister Raja Parvaiz Ashraf be initiated for giving a statement that he will not write a letter to the Swiss authorities. The court may also, according to its six options, refer the issue to Parliament to ensure court orders are implemented.
On the last hearing, the court was not happy with the investigation carried out by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in the case. The bureau suggested strict action against the subordinate of the former prime minister but acquitted Gilani, saying that it was the task of the subordinate to block the summary of an incompetent officer.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 27th, 2012.
After the ouster of former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani by the Supreme Court for defying its orders, a three-judge bench will resume its hearing of the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) implementation case on June 27.
The court can exercise a number of options as previously declared, including a commission to execute its order by writing a letter to the Swiss authorities to open graft cases against President Asif Ali Zardari.
Although the court has already decided Gilani’s fate, the disqualified premier will be the focus of Wednesday’s proceedings because of his alleged misuse of power by appointing a friend to the slot of the Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) chairperson.
Besides the court’s six options, legal experts are also hinting at alternative ways to communicate with Swiss authorities. Khalid Anwar, a senior Supreme Court lawyer, told The Express Tribune that the court could ask the attorney general or its own registry to write a letter for the implementation of the order.
A senior lawyer said that during the trial of former prime minister Gilani, the seven-judge bench also hinted that it could also exercise all its options.
Meanwhile, an application has been filed in the Supreme Court on Tuesday praying that contempt proceedings against the incumbent prime minister Raja Parvaiz Ashraf be initiated for giving a statement that he will not write a letter to the Swiss authorities. The court may also, according to its six options, refer the issue to Parliament to ensure court orders are implemented.
On the last hearing, the court was not happy with the investigation carried out by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in the case. The bureau suggested strict action against the subordinate of the former prime minister but acquitted Gilani, saying that it was the task of the subordinate to block the summary of an incompetent officer.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 27th, 2012.