Swiss cases not opened for being time barred, SC told

ISLAMABAD: The federal law ministry on Saturday submitted its reply to the Supreme Court in a case pertaining to the National Reconciliation Order (NRO), denying any role in the promulgation of the law under which cases against politicians were quashed by the then government of military ruler Pervez Musharraf. 

In the reply, the ministry stated former attorney general Malik Qayyum had written a letter to Swiss authorities in 2012 seeking re-opening of graft cases against PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, but the federal government didn’t pursue the matter afterwards in earnest.

In 2015, another letter was written to the Swiss authorities who refused to re-open the cases for being time barred.

During the previous hearing, Headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar, a bench of the apex court has sought details of assets of former presidents Pervez Musharraf and Asif Ali Zardari.

It directed that all respondents should declare their properties held abroad and foreign accounts in affidavits.

The bench gave this direction on a petition filed by Advocate Feroz Shah Gilani seeking recovery of losses the country had to bear because of the promulgation of the NRO.

The government of the then president Musharraf had promulgated the NRO, quashing cases against politicians, which cleared the way for many to return to the country.

The Supreme Court, however, declared the law in 2009 void and called for re-investigation into the cases closed under it.