Move to restart Zardari probe

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Pakistan Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf was on Tuesday given another week to write to the Swiss authorities to reopen corruption cases against President Asif Ali Zardari after Ashraf assured the court that he wanted to resolve the judiciary-executive stand-off and withdraw a letter written to the Swiss authorities earlier to close Zardari cases.

“The court has adjourned the hearing of the case until September 25. Giving time to the Prime Minister to write the letter”, a court official said.

“The PM told the Supreme Court that the federal government has directed the Law Ministry to withdraw a letter written, by the ex-attorney general Malik Qayyum, to the Swiss authorities for the withdrawal of graft cases against the President.”

A five-member bench headed by Justice Asif Saeed Khosa heard the case. Former Attorney General of Pakistan Malik Qayyum in 2008 wrote a letter to Swiss authorities seeking withdrawal of all corruption cases against President Zardari.

The court also said that a draft of the letter should also be prepared in two to three days and that the court be informed accordingly.

Justice Khosa said that court may sit again on Thursday to review the progress but the Prime Minister requested that next hearing should be fixed by the end of this month.

The PM also requested the court to grant him exemption from appearance at the court to which the court agreed.

Upon this federal Law Minister Farooq Naek said he also needs more time to write the letter but the bench adjourned the hearing till September 25.

The bench observed that the next step after withdrawal of Malik Qayyum's letter will be to write a letter about reopening of cases closed under defunct National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO).

The bench ordered that the letter should be handed over to the Swiss attorney general and the court be informed accordingly.

Earlier, the Prime Minister arrived at the premises of Supreme Court of Pakistan to appear before a five-member bench hearing NRO implementation case as the deadline given to the Prime Minister write a letter to the Swiss authorities for reopening of graft cases against President Zardari ended.

As the hearing began the Prime Minister at the outset thanked the bench that granted him
a three-week at the earlier hearing.

The bench also appreciated the positive attitude shown by the Prime Minister. Various leaders including Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain of Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid-e-Azam) Haji Adeel of Awami National Party (ANP), Farooq Sattar of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Syed Naveed Qamar, Firdous Ashiq Awan, Punjab governor Sardar Latif Khosa from the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) also accompanied the PM.

The allies of the PPP decided in a meeting held late last night with President Zardari in the chair that the premier will appear before the court and plead for more time.

During his previous appearance before the bench on August 27, PM Ashraf solicited more time from the court as he was going abroad on China visit on which the court granted him time till September 18.

Emerging from the courtroom, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira said that those who want clash between the national institutions are frustrated and disappointed after the court adjourned the NRO case till September 25.

Mr Kaira said that Prime Minister presented the government’s stance before the court. "We will follow the court’s orders", he added.

Interior Minister Rehman Malik said tension prevalent in the country has worn off after the court’s proceedings. He said the government respects then judiciary and will implement the court’s orders in all cases.