SLAMABAD, March 30 (Xinhua) -- The Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan Tuesday gave 24 hours to the government for implementing its verdict on the controversial National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO).
A six-member larger bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry directed Chairman of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Naved Ahsen to implement the court's verdict on the NRO by Wednesday.
The SC on Dec. 16, 2009 declared the NRO as repugnant to various provisions of the constitution and ordered the government to re-open all the cases including Swiss cases against President Asif Ali Zardari, which were eliminated under the NRO.
The NRO was an ordinance issued by former Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf on Oct. 5, 2007. It granted amnesty to politicians, political workers and bureaucrats who were accused of corruption, embezzlement, money-laundering, murder and terrorism between Jan. 1, 1986 and Oct. 12, 1999.
Incumbent President Zardari is among the 252 NRO beneficiaries. But he is immune from prosecution while still in office.
Appearing on notice, NAB Chairman Naveed Ahsen submitted his written statement. However, the court expressed dissatisfaction over it, ruling that no progress has been made so far by the NAB in implementation of its order on the NRO.
"Your report is not satisfactory, Mr. Chairman and you will have to assure implementation of our verdict of December 16, 2009 in letter and spirit," Chaudhry said while addressing the NAB chairman.
Secretary of Law Justice (Retd) Muhammad Aqil Mirza also assured the court to implement the court's order on the NRO by Wednesday including taking action against former Attorney General Malik Muhammad Qayyum for writing to the Swiss authorities in connection of cases against President Asif Ali Zardari, removal of the NAB prosecutor general as well as taking measures for establishing extra accountability courts in the country.
The court recalled the law secretary as to why he failed so far to take action in this regard since the announcement of the court verdict on the NRO. The law secretary, however, assured the court to implement the court's verdict by Wednesday.
Meanwhile the court ordered the arrest of former head of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Finance Ahmad Riaz Shaikh and sent him to jail. The court directed the NAB chairman to seize assets of Riaz Shaikh and submit reports before the registrar of the apex court within three days.
The court, while hearing a revived corruption reference against FIA"s Additional Director General (Economic Crimes Wing) Ahmed Riaz Sheikh, restored his punishment of five-year imprisonment and fine of 20 million rupees (about 240,000 U.S. dollars).
The court ordered the arrest after he appeared before the court and withdrew his appeal he had filed in the apex court against his conviction, maintained by the Lahore High Court (LHC), originally awarded by the NAB court.
He was dismissed from service in 2002. Later, he was reinstated under the NRO in 2008 by extending benefit of doubt. Before his conviction he was serving as deputy director.
Moreover, he was also promoted to the position of FIA's Additional Director General even after the NRO was declared null and void.
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