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Thursday, June 27, 2013
Govt to file appeal in Switzerland to reopen Zardari casesISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court was told on Wednesday that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government has decided to file an appeal in Switzerland for the reopening of cases against President Asif Ali Zardari.
The government has also engaged the counsels to pursue the cases against Zardari, and Munawar Akhtar has been appointed as focal person in Pakistan in this regard. This was revealed as a three-member bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, heard the miscellaneous application filed by the attorney general of Pakistan regarding the Swiss cases. AGP Munir A Malik told the bench that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has constituted a two-member committee comprising Cabinet Secretary Sami Saeed and IB DG Aftab Sultan to probe the matter about the “escape” of Law Ministry’s record regarding Swiss cases. The committee will submit its report within two weeks.
The court was shocked to know that the former PPP-led government had written second letter to the Swiss authorities asking them to not reopen the cases against Zardari. It expressed annoyance with the former government for writing the letter and observed that it was a severe violation of its order. The chief justice remarked that those responsible for this act should be held accountable, saying the Supreme Court was kept in dark about the development. The PPP regime had engaged Dr Nicolas Jeandin as its counsel in Swiss cases. Former law secretary Yasmin Abbasi had on November 22 wrote the second letter to Dr Jeandin, wherein he was instructed to explain to the attorney general of Geneva “the position of the government of Pakistan” on Swiss cases. hasnaat malik
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk