SC seeks reply over NRO verdict non-implementation

ISLAMABAD : The Supreme Court, while issuing fresh order in the NRO implementation case, has sought explanations from the President, Prime Minister, NAB chairman Fasih Bokhari and provincial governors as to why there has been no implementation on the court verdicts of December 8 and 11, 2011.

The explanations are to be submitted to the apex court within two and a half weeks. Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammed Chaudhry in an order issued Wednesday said the court on December 16, 2009 had declared the NRO void and while dismissing the relevant review appeals on December 8, 2011 had kept the earlier order valid. The CJP ordered issuance of notices to Attorney General of Pakistan, Prosecutor General National Accountability Bureau, seeking reports from bigwigs including the President and Prime Minister.

Therefore, the court in its fresh order has sought explanations from the principal Secretaries of the President and Prime Minister, NAB Chairman, provincial governors, interior and law ministers, federal and provincial police chiefs, attorney general and advocate generals to submit their explanations as to why the NRO verdict was not implemented as earlier said in the verdict declaring it void. The court in its December 16, 2009 verdict had said that all the cases that were closed under NRO issued in the Pervez Musharraf regime should be restored, which included the Swiss cases also.

The court orders were implemented as regards to thousands of other cases, but the letter for the restoration of Swiss cases relating to President Asif Ali Zardari was not sent. The Supreme Courts three-member bench headed by the Chief Justice had previously heard the NRO implementation case, while several top officials had been relieved of their posts for failing to obey the order, which included former NAB Chairman Naveed Ahsan, Prosecutor General Danishwar Malik and Deputy Prosecutor Abdul Baseer Quraishi. Subsequently, the court adjourned the hearing till the first week of January 2012, and the Supreme Court registrar office said that the exact date would be announced after complying with the cause list.