Swiss cases against Zardari cannot be reopened: NAB informs Supreme Court

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Wednesday informed the Supreme Court that the Swiss cases against Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Asif Ali Zardari cannot be reopened as the appeal of the Pakistani government was time barred.

The anti-graft watchdog submitted its reply with the apex court stating that the Swiss government has refused to reopen the cases as the appeal against it was barred by time and their statutory limitation period has elapsed.

The two-page reply was submitted in the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) case filed against former president Zardari. It said that NAB will act upon the directives of the Supreme Court in the case.

It further stated that that former Attorney General Malik Qayyum did not misuse authority and an enquiry against him was closed in September 2012.

NAB said that Swiss officials have excused themselves from reopening the cases as they are now out of date. NAB also submitted details of corruption cases pending against the former president in Islamabad and Lahore high courts.

The NAB further said that it had found no evidence of the NRO caused any financial loss to the national exchequer.

The Swiss cases created a rift the judiciary and the executive as then prime minister Yusuf Raza Gilani refused to write a letter to the Swiss authorities to reopen the case. He was eventually dismissed from office in a contempt of court case on April 26, 2012.

NRO Case

Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar is hearing the case against individuals who benefited from the controversial law, which was struck down and declared unconstitutional on December 16, 2009.

Last month. the apex court had directed former presidents Pervez Musharraf and Zardari, and former attorney general Malik Qayyum to submit their property details along with an affidavit to the apex court.

Zardari’s legal counsel Farooq H. Naek had told the court that Zardari and his son Bilawal Bhutto Zardari have recently submitted their asset details with the Election Commission of Pakistan in their nomination papers.

On June 24, Zardari had submitted his response and stressed before the Supreme Court that he had not played any role in the making of the NRO. He asserted that he was acquitted in criminal cases by the court, whereas allegations of causing losses to the national exchequer were not proven against him.

The case was filed by Feroz Shah Gilani in the Supreme Court nominating Pervez Musharraf, Asif Ali Zardari and former attorney general Malik Abdul Qayyum as respondents in the case.

The petitioner appealed that apex court should recover ‘huge amount of public money’ embezzled by the respondents through unlawful means ‘already on record in different judgments of the Supreme Court and high court’.