Pak Supreme Court presses govt to reopen graft cases against Zardari

Pakistan's Supreme Court today directed the law ministry to prepare a fresh proposal for the prime minister regarding the implementation of its verdict annulling a graft amnesty that benefited president Asif Ali Zardari.

A five-member bench issued the directive during the hearing of a suo moto case over the government's failure to implement the verdict on the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO).

Since it struck down the amnesty last year, the court has been pressing the government to reopen graft cases against Zardari in Switzerland.

"We direct that a fresh summary for the prime minister shall be prepared by the Law Secretary," the bench said in its order.

Earlier, the court expressed grave concern over the government’s attitude of not implementing its verdict. 

The government has chosen to ignore repeated calls by the Supreme Court to write to Swiss authorities to revive cases against Zardari related to the alleged laundering of $60 million.

Zardari's aides have maintained he has immunity from prosecution by virtue of being president.

The cases against Zardari in Switzerland were disposed of or closed after former military ruler Pervez Musharraf promulgated the NRO as part of a secret understanding with slain former premier Benazir Bhutto.

During today’s hearing, justice Jawwad S Khwaja, a member of the bench, asked attorney general Anwarul Haq as to what the court should do in a case where the government is not implementing its order.

"We have become a laughing stock," he remarked. 

Acting law secretary Sultan Shah submitted to the court a summary sent by the law ministry to the prime minister regarding the implementation of the verdict on the NRO.

Attorney general Haq told the court that the prime minister had asked the Law Ministry for its opinion on the ruling.

After going through the law ministry's summary, the bench observed that it was an effort to misguide prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.

"You are trying to misguide the prime minister," said justice Tariq Parvez, another member of the bench.