Islamabad: The Supreme Court of Pakistan Thursday ordered Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani to write letter to Swiss authorities to reopen graft cases against President Asif Ali Zardari without taking advice and submit a report to the apex court on March 21.
The orders came as a seven-member bench headed by Justice Nasirul Mulk resumed hearing contempt case against Gilani. The court also said in its orders that the contempt hearing would continue against the prime minister.According to court order, the contempt case proceeding will continue like in past and the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) implementation case will also be heard on March 21.The court order directs the government to implement the ruling by 17-member bench of the apex court.
The court said the action is being triggered as the first order was defied, as the PM Gilani, being the chief executive of the country is wholly responsible for the implementation; but, he said he did not act upon the ruling in line with the advice contained in the two summaries given to him.
The court ordered the PM Gilani to produce the implementation report before March 21. Earlier, Cabinet Division and Defence Secretary Nargis Sethi was cross-examined by Attorney General Maulvi Anwarul Haq, acting as prosecutor in contempt case the Prime Minister Gilani.
Attorney General cross-examining the secretary and asked six questions regarding the summaries sent to the prime minister in the NRO issue. While replying to a question she said my responsibility was to put them before the chief executive. The AG said a written reply from the prime minister was awaited. Aitzaz Ahsan, Gilani’s counsel, said the premier would be busy during March 12-15. – Onlinenews
