NRO implementation hearing adjourned till Oct 10
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan has adjourned the hearing of National Reconciliation Ordinance implementation case till October 10 and has given more time to the government to amend the...
October 05, 2012
A five-member bench of the apex court comprising Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, Justice Aijaz Afzal Khan, Justice Aijaz Ahmed Chaudhry, Justice Gulzar Ahmed and Justice Athar Saeed resumed the proceedings.
The notices have already been issued to the Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf for defying the court orders in the NRO implementation case.
During today’s hearing, Federal Law Minister Farooq H Naek presented the final draft of the letter to be sent to Swiss authorities for the re-opening of graft cases against President Asif Ali Zardari and others.
The court, once again, objected over the contents of the Swiss letter draft and asked the government to amend its content according to the court’s orders.
Justice Khosa remarked that the draft of the letter was not in accordance of the court’s orders, adding that the first and second para of the draft letter followed the instructions but the third para conflicted with the first two paras and the court’s orders.
He continued saying that the last para of the letter’s draft needed review and the matter was just inches away from resolution.
On this occasion, law minister pleaded to be heard in the chamber for few minutes. Replying to this, Justice Khosa remarked that the hearing should be fair and transparent. He termed the matters ‘sensitive’ and said that talking openly about the issues can affect the case.
Later, the judges called Naek in the chamber.
After returning from the ‘secret discussion’, Farooq Naek pleaded the court for more time. The court, then, adjourned the hearing till October 10 while giving the last chance to the government for final amendment.
Earlier on September 26, the SC while hearing the contempt of court case against the prime minister rejected the second draft letter prepared by the law minister.
The apex court warned the government that contempt proceedings will be initiated against the prime minister if it did not comply with the court orders. However, the minister hoped he will succeed in ending the legal wrangle over the graft cases against President Zardari.
The apex court said that the draft letter prepared by Law Minister Farooq Naek was unsatisfactory and gave him time till October 5 to finalise the letter according to the directions of the court given in paragraph 178 of the order issued in the NRO case.
