News
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Govt files amended review petition against NRO verdict: Reopening of Swiss cases tantamount to trial of Benazir’s grave: govt
* Petition says SC made ‘several errors’ in striking down NRO
By Masood Rehman
ISLAMABAD: The federation on Monday filed a review petition with the Supreme Court against the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) verdict saying the reopening of Swiss cases against Asif Ali Zardari would be tantamount to a trial of Benazir Bhutto’s grave – in a bid to protect benefits granted under the controversial ordinance, especially the closure of the Swiss cases.
“An order to reopen cases abroad would be tantamount to putting Benair Bhutto’s grave on trial, which is against all norms of justice, decency, morality and the law,” said the amended review petition filed by the federation through Barrister Kamal Azfar. It says the SC made several errors in striking down the NRO.
The petition says the federation was criticised – without being heard – in several important issues in the detailed judgement, in breach of the time-honoured judicial principle of natural justice. The federation filed a review petition on January 16, but it was returned by the court because of some technical objections. The amended petition defends the closure of proceedings at Swiss courts. The federation has questioned the legality of mutual legal assistance in the context of the Swiss cases, saying a letter dated October 7, 1997 – written by former attorney general Chaudhry Muhammad Farooq – led to fallacious proceedings, in the name of the so-called mutual legal assistance, against Benazir and Nusrat Bhutto, along with the co-accused party, Zardari.
It says the SC had failed to consider the order of the public prosecutor of the Republic and Canton of Geneva dated August 25, 2008, for the closure of pending proceedings in Switzerland, which “was not given because of the attorney general’s request... [it was rather given] after an examination of the merits of the case”.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk