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| | GEO Pakistan | | NRO case: SC short order likely today | Updated at: 0946 PST, Wednesday, December 16, 2009
 ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) is currently hearing the identical petitions filed against National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) on the 7th day of hearing today, Geo News reported Wednesday.
The Attorney General has been directed to present the original file on Swiss case withdrawal. The AG replied that the original file is present nowhere to be made available to the court.
Justice Javed Iqbal said the time lapsed to cover things up and this is not a Mogul era when the oral orders were followed. The AG said, ‘I am not hiding anything and if I have to do so, I would rather quit my office.’
The court has some other sources of information, Justice Javed stressed.
‘Is the file inexistent or not being allowed to approach you,’ the court queried ordering the President’s Principal Secretary and Federal Law Secretary to appear before the court in this connection.
The court insisted on file to be presented to the court.
According to sources privy to the government circles, the government has prepared a report on foreign withdrawn cases. And all the cases were withdrawn on the directives from former President Gen (rtd) Pervez Musharraf.
It should be mentioned that the court yesterday directed Dr Mubashshir Hasan’s counsel Abdul Hafeez Pirzada to conclude his arguments on the following day (today), as all other counsels have completed their arguments before the court in earlier hearings.
The 17-strong larger bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Iftikhar Muhammed Chaudhry is expected to deliver short order today and detailed verdict would be reserved to be made public later on.
It is pertinent to note here that yesterday the apex court directed the former Attorney General Malik Qayyum to appear before the court, who gave remarks before the court, “I don’t want to hide anything from the court and would submit the exact information in this regard.”
He unveiled the names of concerned persons on whose orders the cases of Asif Ali Zardari were withdrawn from Swiss courts.
He informed the court that the consultations regarding the withdrawal of the Swiss cases were held with former president Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf and the law minister.
He said that he wrote a letter to the Swiss court on the direction of Pervez Musharraf for taking back the cases of Asif Ali Zardari. Qayyum recalled that President Asif Ali Zardari filed a petition in the Sindh High Court in February 2008, praying for repealing all NRO cases. The next month, he submitted, the SHC abolished all the cases and directed the NAB to withdraw the cases within two weeks.
He further submitted that Prosecutor General NAB Danishwar appeared before the court and submitted before the SHC that the court’s order would be implemented in letter and spirit. Malik Qayyum further informed the court that later he talked to the then president (Musharraf) who directed him to implement the NRO in letter and spirit.
Earlier, acting Attorney General Shah Khawar also presented the NAB report before the court regarding Swiss banks accounts of Asif Ali Zardari that amounts to $59.45 million.
According to the NAB reports, six foreign bank accounts were maintained by Asif Zardari and late Benazir Bhutto. There are at least 13,113,000 dollars in these foreign bank accounts. Besides, there are at least 46,343,353 dollars in the accounts of five companies owned by President Zardari and a company of Benazir Bhutto. (Last updated at PST 1005) |  |
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