NRO implementation: Law minister authorised to write Swiss letter
The premier has issued an “authority letter” to the law minister, directing him to write to the Swiss authorities in accordance with the Supreme Court orders to disown the “illegal letter” written by a former attorney general, highly credible sources told The Daily Express.
Former attorney general Malik Muhammad Qayyum had written to the Swiss authorities that the Pakistan government had dropped a dormant graft case against President Asif Ali Zardari following the promulgation of the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) by the then president Pervez Musharraf in 2007.
However, in 2010 the Supreme Court had struck down the controversial law and ordered the government to reopen all cases dropped under the NRO, including the one against President Zardari in Swiss courts.
In the “authority letter”, the premier has asked the law minister to write the Swiss letter in compliance with the apex court ruling against the NRO. The premier has also set guidelines for the minister.
According to the guidelines, the law minister will tell the Swiss authorities that the former attorney general had overstepped his authority and that the incumbent government disowns the letter he had written.
The letter calls for finding a legal way that not only assuages the federal government’s concerns but also satisfies the apex court, sources said.
Sources added that the law minister was finalising the draft of the letter which would not directly mention the constitutional immunity President Zardari enjoys at home. But at the same time, the letter would call for invoking international convention.
Sources said the letter would be presented before the apex court but not before prior approval from President Zardari. If the president endorses the move, the draft letter would be presented before the five-judge bench of the court on Tuesday.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 24th, 2012.
COMMENTS (7)
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Now all the probles of Pakistan would be solved after writing this letter.
Good politics played by Zardari and co.
it will never be written . this is another delay tactic
Another stunt to keep people indulged into something irrelevant and avoid real issues.
By the time this letter will finally be written approved and send to Swiss authorities he will be living in self impose exile either in U.K or Dubai ...... And will never know the truth
A,thoroughly useless leter it will be
Another delaying tactic, why Zardari has to go over it and make changes, he is the party who is involved in this corruption episode, it is like asking the person who is being prosecuted in the court to go over the prosecution briefs before it is submitted to the court. No wonder Pakistan is considered a lawless country. If you people like these shenanigans of the ruling party then vote for them again come next elections, you will deserve it.