Pakistan’s Supreme Court declared NRO illegal - an amnesty that had protected President Asif Ali Zardari and his allies from corruption charges, opening the door for corruption cases to be brought against them. Although Zardari’s position gives him immunity from prosecution, the court ruling heaps pressure on his government and could set the stage for his immunity to be challenged. We have seen talk shows and analysts exploring all sorts of possibilities - all sorts of misperceptions and rumors are in the air. So we bring you the detailed verdict by the Supreme Court on NRO, so that one can read it themselve and forget about all the rumors :) . Though im sure not many people have read the all 287 pages :) , but at least give a try.
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NRO
Download SC Detailed Judgement on NRO
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Media! You are Next
In the recent developments Pakistan People’s Party declared war against media, particularly Jang group and its journalists namely; Kamran Khan, Shaheen Sehbai, Ansar Abbassi and Shahid Masud. In the most surprising way Senior Minister of PPP in Punjab, Mr. Raja Riaz said that we will break handd of whoever tries to topple the government or try to create any such nuisance. The self-proclaimed champions; of democracy, freedom of speech and protection of rights; have now become usurpers, oppressors and civil dictators. It seems that power has got to the brains of these politicians.
This heat in the political scenario has started after the judgment on NRO. Not to forget here that it is these same politicians who left NRO on the mercy of Supreme Court, because the politicians lacked decision making, were scared to come out and make a decision. I wonder what sort of leaders are they when they cannot make one decision on an ordinance; how can we expect them to make larger than life decisions for this nation then. All these leaders can think of is Foreign Aid, increasing tariffs and protecting American interests. It is surprising how the nation’s attention is being diverted from an increase in power tariff. [click to continue...]
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Hence 90’s Political Style Is Back In Fashion!
After the Supreme Court’s decision on NRO the political canvas has changed the landscape as if hit by a massive earth quake. It seems that we have gone back to 90’s where all we heard was the government clash with other institutes or opposition or corruption or inflation. All this has seen to be revived after the NRO judgment; that came, the most surprising element were the recent comments given by Prime Minister to the media. It came as the most astonishing element of the recent regime when the most widely respected PM lashed out on media in defense of the most controversial President in the history of Pakistan.
According to many experts the current system is heading towards a major clash; i.e. Executive versus Judiciary. It seems that our politicians does not learn from past; and have not seen what happened with Musharraf government in the later stages when judiciary and executive clashed. It is ironic that how our ministers claim that we are in a state of war and look at our government’s priority; fighting against NRO; having more than eight hours long meetings over NRO and its defense; I wonder why there were no such deliberations over the electricity crisis or sugar crisis; perhaps because they were issues of masses and not of the top office holders. [click to continue...]
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Arrest Warrants Issued against Rehman Malik
Pro-Pakistan has given a detailed coverage to the NRO issue in its blog posts. The only reason for it was that we were totally against such draconian laws which discriminate between the common citizens and the elite. Thanks to the efforts of our countrymen, the law was abolished few days back.
Today, NAB court issued non bailable arrest warrant against our Interior Minister Rehman Malik and few other people people. All these people have been part of the current government while they were wanted in numerous cases that were quashed because of the NRO. Below is the story as it appear in Dawn News:
ISLAMABAD: A NAB court has issued the arrest warrant against Interior Minister Rehman Malik. arrants of arrests have been issued against 52 individuals, including the Sindh Local Government Minister Agha Siraj Durrani, Usman Farooqui and Munawar Talpur, sources were quoted as saying by a private television channel. These warrants are non-bailable
Photo Credit: Telegraph UK
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NRO Gets a Slap on the Face in Pakistan!
On the cold eve of 16th December, 2009; supreme courts large bench consisting of 17 members out rightly rejected the National Reconciliation Order (NRO) issued on 5th October, 2007 by then Dictator Pervez Musharraf. The decision did not surprise many, including the incumbent government, who was also a party to the case. A lot has been said and read about the NRO beneficiaries and the reason for NRO but this decision officially puts off NRO and restarts the long list of cases that were hanging in air.
Strange things were said in the court during the proceedings and stranger things were heard. A statement from government’s council, “GHQ and CIA want to derail the democratic set-up” then, hiding the details of assets in United Kingdom and Spain. According to an estimate 70% of the case proceedings were on Swiss -Cases; which showed the seriousness of the allegations that were brushes aside using a duster termed as NRO. [click to continue...]
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Exit Control List (ECL) Inducts NRO Beneficiaries
Great news for all the people of Pakistan. The Interior Ministry has placed the names of 248 NRO beneficiaries on the Exit Control List (ECL) on the directives of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). NAB had sent a list of 248 beneficiaries of the defunct NRO that included federal ministers and bigwigs of the government, bureaucracy and political parties for putting their names on the ECL. The people whose names had been put on the exit control list included the department’s top boss and Interior Minister Rehman Malik.
The names of a host of politicians, bureaucrats and businessmen are on the ECL because under the instructions of the Supreme Court, they require to clear their names through an anti-corruption process. Their cases existed prior to Oct 5, 2007, when NAB courts had been trying them for charges of corruption, kickbacks, commissions and the alleged misuse of authority.
Asif Ali Zardari Leads the Herd
The name of President Asif Ali Zardari has not been put on the ECL because NAB’s legal experts are studying two questions: (i) presidential immunity and (ii) whether immunity would cover cases being tried in foreign courts. However some of the big shots that are included in the list are as follows:
Rehman Malik
Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar
Babar Ghauri
Salman Faruqui
Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao
Nawab Yousuf Talpur
Wasim Akhtar
Dr Imran Farooq
Rana Nazir Khan
Saeed Mehdi
Nawab Yousuf Talpur
Nusrat Bhutto
Jehangir Badr
Ahmad Mukhtar
Malik Mushtaq Ahmed Awan
Rana Nazir Ahmed
Mian M Rashid [click to continue...]
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NRO, Independent Judiciary and The Nation
The failure of government on National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) and publishing the list of beneficiaries of NRO; a new Pandora box has been opened in the Pakistani politics. Many observers and analysts are of the view that the incumbent ministers having their names in the NRO list should resign from their respective offices; whereas these public office holders believe that unless and until they are proven guilty; they should and will not resign from their portfolios.
The debate can be a never ending and the points put forth can go from logical to illogical; but perhaps these leaders and politicians of ours, do not realize that they are not only playing with this country but also with this nation that is going through one of the most torrid times of their lives. The list of the NRO beneficiaries has already been mentioned in one of our previous posts; and it surely includes one of the most important office holders of our country.
The funny part here is that one institute of the government will [click to continue...]
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NRO Beneficiary and Advisor to CM Punjab Saeed Mehdi Resigned
The release of the list of NRO beneficiaries resulted in repeated calls for their resignation from their current public offices. Since majority of the famous people holding the key public offices benefited from it, we have yet to see any resignation coming from them. However, the ice has been broken by Saeed Mehdi, the current Adviser to Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif.
Mr. Saeed Mehdi belonged to Civil Service of Pakistan. During his career he held various important positions. He was Principal Secretary to the former Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif on 12th October 1999. He is also Executive Director in Muhammad Ali Jinnah University - Islamabad campus and currently was working as Adviser to Punjab Chief Minister.
On ethical side, his resignation has given an upper hand to PML-N as they can now use his case to put a strong face in the face of public demands for resignation of all NRO beneficiaries from holding public offices. The move by Saeed Mehdi has paved way for others to follow suite. It is high time to see how other beneficiaries of NRO respond to this move by Saeed Mehdi.
According to Jang site:
LAHORE: The advisor of Punjab Chief Minister and principal secretary of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Saeed Mehdi has resigned after declaration of his name in NRO beneficiaries list.
Saeed Mehdi tendered his resignation to Main Nawaz Sharif during PML-N meeting here. In his resignation, Mehdi stated that he never made any corruption nor took advantage under NRO. He was involved in the matter maliciously, therefore, quitting from the office as moral obligation. Mehdi said he would not accept any official designation till clearance.
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List of NRO Beneficieries in Pakistan - Zardari, Rehman Malik Tops it
The Government of Pakistan has finally made available the list of National Reconciliation Ordinance aka NRO beneficiaries to the public. The list is not yet complete and the one available to media contains only 248 politicians and bureaucrats. I must remind our readers here that the original list comprises of thousands of people and this is just a partial list.
According to a story in a local website, the following are the 248 people with slight detail of their illegal activities that they washed through the NRO.
1) Asif Ali Zardari - The beneficiary No 1 of the NRO. These cases included the alleged kickbacks from SGS PSI Company, grant of licence to ARY Gold causing huge loss to government, corruption in purchase of Ursus tractors under the Awami Tractor Scheme, illegal award of contract to Cotecna for pre-shipment, assets beyond means, received kickbacks from Sajjad Ahmad (late) ex-chairman Pakistan Steel Mills, illegal construction of Polo ground at PM House and the money laundering SGS Swiss case.
2) Nawaz Yousaf Talpur, ex-MNA and former minister, who was co-accused in URSUS tractors case;
3) Ms Nusrat Bhutto, assets case;
4) Ex-MNA and the PPP Secretary General Jehangir Badr, assets case and corruption in Sui Southern Gas Company;
5) Ex-minister for commerce and presently Defence Minister Ahmad Mukhtar, misuse of authority in issuing sugar export permit to non-entitled persons in 1994;
6)Ex-MNA Malik Mushtaq Ahmed Awan, embezzlement in Octroi contracts;
7) Ex-MNA Rana Nazir Ahmed, assets case and misuse of authority;
8) Ex-MPA Mian M Rashid, assets case and illegal appointments;
9) Ex-MPA Tariq Anees, assets beyond means;
10) Ex-MPA Mian Tariq Mehmood Dina, assets beyond means;
Other NRO Beneficiries: ex-minister of education Sindh Agha Sirajuddin and others, misuse of authority; ex-chief minister and former interior minister Aftab Ahmed Sherpao, misuse of authority, illegal allotment of plots and assets case; ex-provincial minister Ghani-ur-Rehman, assets beyond means; ex-senator Haji Gulsher, misuse of authority and acquisition of land; [click to continue...]
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