“We have yet to receive any response on the letter from the Swiss attorney general in Geneva,” Law and Justice Secretary Yasmin Abbasi told The Express Tribune on Sunday.
“We will of course seek the services of international lawyers in case the Swiss attorney general entertains Pakistan’s request and re-examines graft cases against President Zardari and other persons,” she added.
Currently, Pakistan’s ambassador in Geneva Zamir Akram and his legal director are coordinating with the Swiss authorities examining the letter’s content, law and justice ministry officials familiar with the matter told The Express Tribune. They added the ministry has also decided to send two senior officials to Switzerland to provide further legal assistance to the Pakistani mission.
The legal officers were unable to leave for Switzerland last week due to the unavailability of Law Minister Farooq H Naek following the death of one his family members.
The mission in Geneva has already received advice from National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Prosecutor General KK Agha, who prepared the case while working as an additional attorney of Pakistan, the sources further informed The Express Tribune. At the time, Agha closely coordinated with then NAB chairman Nawid Ahsan – who sent letters to the Swiss attorney general under section 21 of the NAB Ordinance 1991 as well, requesting mutual legal assistance.
Meanwhile, eminent international law expert Ahmer Bilal Sufi maintained the chances that graft cases against President Zardari will be opened were ‘miniscule’.
“Swiss legal wizards will examine Islamabad’s request under local laws,” said Sufi, explaining that “in Switzerland, once an investigation against the accused is closed on the request of the aggrieved party, it becomes very difficult under local laws to entertain a request to reopen the case.”
His opinion seemingly supports the text of the Swiss letter as well, which states: “This is without prejudice to the legal rights and defences of presidents/heads of state which may be available under the law, constitution and international law.”
Published in The Express Tribune, December 10th, 2012.
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may be chief justice should send a team of judges too on government expensed
Corruption Zindabad aur Pakistan se Zinda Bhaag!!!! :( If swiss authorities doesn't respond on AAZ's case, corruption roots will be more stronger I guess!!! Lord have mercy on Pakistan....
So why send a bunch of legal experts to Switzerland if they haven't even bothered to respond to the letter? The Swiss aren't wasting their resources on this why are you?
Chief Justice bika hua hai. Simple as that.
The government should write a book on 1001 ways of circumventing the orders of Supreme Court
This case was not personally against AAZ but other 7 people who were also involved in this particular case.The SC directed the govt to open cases by writing to all other govt e.g Spain & UK & not only Swiss govt, but it seem only focus was Swiss, but insha Allah, other cases in other countries will open too.....soon.
Swiss officials must be laughing at the stupidity of pakistani courts
The much ado about nothing. Supreme Court should explain the case to the people of Pakistan. After wasting time and resources and the hopes that they created of solving all financial issues after the writing of letter has eveporated in thin air.
Everybody knew full well that the letter would be an exercise in futility. However, the big egos prevailed and gulped so much time and money once again as if all problems of Pakistan were hinged on this letter. Now the letter is sent what has been achieved except the egos? Swiss are not going to listen to Pakistani courts again and again and go against the International laws. How much time and money have been wasted instead of attending the thousands of cases rotting for decades.