ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court, rejecting the attorney general's reply on behalf of Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, ordered the premier to write the letter to Swiss authorities and submit a report to the court by July 25, Express News reported on Thursday.
The court stated this in its order issued during the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) implementation case hearing.
The order, also hinting at a contempt of court notice, stated that laws applicable to former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani were also applicable to the current prime minister and if he did not implement the court's order, action would be taken against him in accordance with the law and the constitution.
Earlier, unable to submit a reply from Ashraf, Attorney General Irfan Qadir said that once the Law Ministry sent the summary, only then would the cabinet be able to come to a decision.
The attorney general, during the hearing of the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) implementation case said, “I believe the prime minister and the cabinet will decide together.”
The case was being heard by a five-member bench presided over by Justice Asif Saeed Khosa.
When Justice Khosa replied saying, “You mean first the Law ministry will give its suggestion then the cabinet will decide?” the attorney general said that since the law minister and secretary were new, the cabinet would reflect upon the matter and give a final decision.
He further told the court that he had to leave the country and asked that the case be heard afterwards, adding, “I am sure that the cabinet will have made a decision by then.”
“You have given us your response, now wait for ours,” Justice Khosa remarked and had reserved his verdict on the attorney general’s reply till 3:30pm.
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@ magnanimity sir beyond ZARDARI there is army boots If ZARDARI is convicted then why you need to writes a letter as it will be futile Did the Swiss govt then return the money to Pakistan ? the money that was spent on buying loyalties was shown in Indian parliament on national tv Politician in india are more corrupt and many of them are big gangsters Mr hasan Nisar is an eternal passimist whose only job is to ridicule the whole Pakistani nation and to criticse muslims and Muslim history He is full of criticism with no solution . obsession with alleged money in Swiss banks is the sole passtime of Pakistani pseudo intellectuals and morally and intellectually bankrupts judiciary Most judges have two plots each and the total worth of these illegally allotted plots is more than any money in Swiss banks PLEASE GIVE UP HATRED And be PROUD OF YOUR COUNTRY Mr Arslan is walking free and mr malik is attending courts,,,,People can see what Is happening
@ Logic Europe Either you are so naive or can't think beyond Zardari's self-proclaimed vision.
FYI, Zardari and his beloved wife had been convicted by a Swiss court for money laundering;tens of millions of dollars were found stashed in Swiss banks in the couple's names.
I just pity on your knowledge about india and her politics .Just google the books where it is specifically told that indian politicians receives and pays million of dollars for selling or buying the loyalties.
To make it easy for you,Just go through those articles of HASSAN NISAR where he translated a book on Indian politics.
@ mr QB All CORUPTION can be and will be traced.,The proble with ZARDARI is that he hasn't done any hence to get at him Swiss case... Musharaf with all the might and resources of a dictator cud not prove anything in ten years so if courts want to waste time and money ,no one can stop them. Two third majority is with him in parliament Not all are for sale ,they support ZARDARI because of his ability and capability ,,,,otherwise they are free to join PMLN and remove ZARDARI from power. Re gards to indian prime minister YES there are charges of corruption against Sonia Gandhi and raju Gandhi , for the money in Swiss banks ,,a former PM narsima rao had similar charges Just read any Indian newspaper ,you will find it full of corruption vows I n a country where terrorists are killing army and ccommon people everyday.somempeople are ranting about a few million in a foreign bank day and night and have brought the country to a standstill MAIN Reason is HATRED
Now Raja rental caught up.For sure he would not prefer writing letter to Swiss Officials,and if he will do so, he will have to leave his post.
. Blessed are they who maintain justice, who constantly do what is right.
@Logic Europe
I would like to find out which of Indian President or Prime Minister had his/her sleazy wealth stashed in the Swiss accounts? Which minsters in their cabinets have been convicted by their Supreme Court for billions and yet shamelessly trudging along? Stop regurgitating the innuendoes about rampant corruption elsewhere. No country in the world can progress without a strict check on high level of corruption and graft.
@ Logic Europe.
Zardari went begging to save Pakistan --- Not so sure about that. Wonder how much money was used to buy the loyalties. Also it would have been better to stop corruption. He could have saved more then that way then begging.
Amended constitution to empower people --- I say he dragged his feet too long to do that. He would have tried everything to his personal advantage had he not been pressured. It's like PPP claiming that they always wanted to restore juidiciary.
Pakistani ruppee has depreciated less then Indian ruppee --- If there is misery in India then it doesn't have to be here in Pakistan as well. Besides you took one thing for comparison from India. What do you say about India's growth and rising stature on world stage compared to Pakistan?
Power shortages --- If you are happy with the current power situation then I have no words for you.
Ministers are in prison --- Dear friend they are not in prison because the government has started to respect law. They are in prison because CJ has a big danda for them. Remember it is an NRO government.
Zardari's great vision --- The only vision I see in his is how to hold on to power like a leech and how to make his son the next PM. There is no other vision that I can see.
Baki aap ki marzi hai.
one easy option write a letter and send it through your embassy in Switzerland the ambassador sends it back with some objections,then he receives the letter back and he requests a date with the prosecutor to deliver the letter ,he then travels to the office of the prosecutor but his car breaks down and letter is lostbwhilemrairs are taking place ,then he asks for another letter and this goes on and on
From last years statement ...."Director Swiss Bank said that Pakistan has 97 billion dollars in Swiss Banks. Director Swiss Bank said ‘Pakistanis are poor but Pakistan isn’t a poor country.’ He added that 97 billion dollars of Pakistan is deposited in respective bank and if this money would be utilized for the welfare of Pakistan and its people then Pakistan can make tax less budget for 30 years, can create 60 million jobs, can carpet four lanes road from any village to Islamabad, endless power supply to five hundred social projects, every citizen can get 20000 rupees salary for the next 60 years and there is no need to see IMF and any World Bank for loans."
Pro PPP trolls comment and then recommend their comment 50 times.
There are no shotage of candidates aspring to become next prime minister.Court will continue removing prime ministers PPP will continue installing new primeministers untill it's election time.
What's the big deal in writing a letter? I think the PM should write a one line letter to whomever the Supreme Court is asking to write, requesting the reopening of the closed case(s) and then move on with the other urgent issues of governance. If the Swiss Courts do reopen the cases, President Zardari can invoke his immunity and refuse to be a party before them. By the time all the formalities and legal processes are in place for a real show down - there would have been a new National Assembly, PM, CJP, Army Chief and President (too?) in place, no?!
Will someone enlighten as to what the immediate legal, political and administrative implications of writing such a letter?
@ raheem baksh hope ET allows me some space ZARDARI went begging and got enough money to save Pakistan from bankruptcy He amended the constitution and empowerd people of Pakistan to elect their government which the consider best in their wisdom. stock market ha doubled. Pakistani rupee has depreciated less than Indian rupee considering the mess of economy made by dictator. Power shortages are universal in Asia as demand has increased , All attempts to raise the output have been hampered by court stay orders and uncooperative officials who want to bring the govt down. Minsters are in prison ,it means law is working .In india ministers are in prison too.
Sir his great vision into establish a democratic state of Pakistan where pakistanis will not be ruled by whip and fists yielding dictators
@Jibran: Like any other law drafted by the legal experts there may be some lacunae in the Hadood and Blasphemy laws also, but I am sure with little effort these can be improved. There are also some problems with the application of these laws which needs to be looked into. All said and done, we must remember that these laws have been enacted primarily in accordance with the teachings of Qura'n and Hadith and as a Muslim I have no doubt that the teachings of Qura'n and Hadith have no flaw and these are basically for the betterment of mankind.
@Logic Europe Can you please explain how Mr Zardari has got vision and selflessness? Vision.... When nation was dyeing due to Power Crisis all he did through Raja Rental was to earn billions through corruption, every single earning corporate institute of Pakistan has been destroyed. Railways back bone of Pakistan has been torn apart. No economic, trade and social policy. How can someone have vision if every ministry has faced 3-4 ministers in 4 years means no long term planning. Nab, FIA, Audit Dept every single significant institute has a corrupt and poorly reputed head. The base of Pakistan has jolted due to lack of vision and Energy Crisis. Can u please mention a serious project started just to produce cheaper energy? Selfessness........ PM of Pakistan is busy just to save his swiss Bank Accounts. Nobody needs to prove anything against him. He himself said in NRO decleration that Swiss Bank account has his own money and Surrey Place sale proceedings should be considered his property and cases should be waved off against this money. These are those cases in which he was pleading for years that this money in not his and he has nothing to do with it. May Allah give you courage and wisdom to choose the right from wrong.
A very serious political situation is in the offing which may turn all the cards in one go within couple of months.
@ Zzzzz we have heared it many times before ,four elected governments were dismissed on the charges of corruption in a country where almost all are guilty of corruption And if you look across the border on India, corruption is rampant and at a much higher scale no matter who is on government it will take decades to abolish this problem
It is principle of international jurisprudence and constitutional law that court can interpret only when there is any ambiguity. The language of Art 248 (2) is crystal clear and letter of law to be followed.
"No criminal proceedings whatsoever shall be instituted or continued against the President or a Governor in any court during his term of office;
Only tragedy was (J) Ramday was not knowing that money laundering is criminal proceedings, as the money matter is a civil case in Pakistan and President have no such immunity in civil proceedings and he passed order to revive money claim in Switzerland. Since the order was signed by all 16 judges so they are not in position to back out and the Govt has also solid valid reason to stick to their guns. Why S/C has given 6 options because their case was weak. Since media and civil society is with the court so they are moving strongly but not lawfully.
Dissolve the parliament and gov immediately
Arrest all cabinet and foreign office for fraud and lies
Keep supply route permanently blocked for peace in the country
Supreme Court, do your job and do it NOW
You know these cases are pending since 1996.None is willing to bring the wealth back to country but to corner the opponents. 100% SURE. Lot of the leaders & top slots are involved in corruption but only ONE MAN is under criticism?
@Jibran: @Sunder Khan Afridi: NRO was the most shameful law Untrue
So you don't see anything wrong with NRO?
NRO is more important than the Constitution or political stability, which we need for development of this region's economy and culture.
@Imran Con: Interpretation of the constitutional clauses is the responsibility of the Supreme Court. No individual or Government institution can claim that his interpretation of the constitution is correct unless it is accepted by the Supreme Court. Hence the PPP Government at its own cannot assume that writing letter to Swiss authorities will be a violation of the constitution. I am sure the court is quite mindful of the immunity clauses and inspite of that if the court is insisting on writing the letter then I am afraid the president does not enjoy any immunity in this case. The Government is also aware of this fact and that is why they are not claiming immunity in the court. In any case, even if Mr. Zardari has the immunity, he should at least have some regard for the poor people of Pakistan and quietly bring back the looted money which he has kept in Swiss Banks. If he has not looted the money then why he is scared of writing a letter to Swiss court. He has already sacrificed one Prime minister, changed 8 DG FIA and has change 4 chairman NAB. Why he is bent upon destroying the entire system just for this letter of few lines.
Raja hay barely settled in the PM house and the helipad is still under construction at his house and we are talking about him leaving. This is rude. What will he do without uninterrupted electricity in this heat?
this rental Pm will gone with cabinet and also this corrupt parliament and SC will announce election in next month watch this video http://goo.gl/MrNx4
@Sunder Khan Afridi: He doesn't need the new law to protect him. He already received the best protection available straight from the people of Pakistan, even if it is temporary. Though that new bill's conditions are also temporary and in line with it, too. Nothing changed for the president. His protection is one of the few unambiguous things in the debate. Whenever the judges try to say it's not, they're just torching their own respect and credibility in the eyes of others in the same profession.
@Logic Europe: Tou are blind this is all we can say. We have the most corrupt government ever to rule pakistan.
the court order seems to be Parchi of Bhata Mafia "implement otherwise................."
Who are these PMs working for? the people of Pakistan or just one person and why that person does not disown that $ 60 million do not belong to him or his late wife and thus the amount should be given of Pakistan. This kind of democracy is worst than Dictatorship.
I don't think the Government will implement the decision. SC should decide the case on merit and according to the wishes of the people.
Well done S.C. Stick to your orders. People of Pakistan are with you.
@asif: The truth is that only the judges, generals, and the Son-of-the-Law (Arsalan Iftikhar) have the immunity, and are not answerable to anyone.
@Sunder Khan Afridi: NRO was the most shameful law
Untrue... How conveniently the radicalized rightists with extremist views forget about the Hadood Ordinance, Blasphemy law, 58-2B, 8th and 17th amendments! And how conveniently the learned judges continue to find them in accordance with the basic structure of the constitution. Reason, because it gives them protection for their own misdeeds.
@Logic Europe: And how has he used this politeness,resourcefulness and patience to help people of Pakistan?oopse! Wrong question I guess, People are not even on the agenda
Wow,what a country,president ,primeminiater and ministers wat ever they do they are above the law.....ooopsss sorry president I said somthing against you.....don't kill me,I know no body can have a trial of yours,so I will be dead,u have nothing to worry....u have immunity.....
The most patinent ,polite and resourceful president of Pakistan will win this battle too he has the support of all political parties except the failng and failed ones. ZARDARi is the only leader in Pakistan with vision and selflessness ,,He has not done any corruption PROOF if he had done then he would not be hounded for a 15 years old case
now atleast he can't be charged and relieved as PM for contempt of court!
direct and unambiguous!!!
Between the judiciary and government of PPP, the state of Pakistan is getting killed.
NRO was the most shameful law ever enacted in Pakistan but the new contempt of court law to so brazenly protect Mr. Zardari's corruption is even more shameful and the parliamentarians who have voted for the law are ------------------------------ .
Make these lovely president and prime minister of Pakistan sit on the liberty statue in USA , they have given Pakistan so much in terms of honour and dignity that i request people to not let them fall.
Good One :D :D Loving this cat and mouse fight :D
I must add that the entire cabinet, including Mr Ashraf the failed power baron, be put behind bars.
That is rude
I think he might Say !! Okey Fine take your time"
Aggressive posture from judge! Are we watching some Punjabi movie?
Nothing wil happened.Time is being killed.
I can't see PM or cabinet implementing court decissions.Let them face the music now and call for fresh elections.