Finally this charade will be over. I’m sure that as well as writing this letter, Pakistan’s government will be phoning and meeting with Swiss officials to ask them to destroy the letter immediately upon receiving it without opening it, reading it, or acting upon it.
Pakistan’s prime minister told a Supreme Court panel Tuesday that his government would no longer stand in the way of a revival of a longstanding graft case in Switzerland against President Asif Ali Zardari, a decision that could help tamp down tensions in the bitterly contentious relationship between Zardari’s government and the country’s judiciary.
The decision represents a significant turnaround in strategy for Zardari’s ruling Pakistan People’s Party, which for nearly three years has resisted the high court’s demand to rescind a 2008 notification from the Pakistani government to Swiss authorities that corruption proceedings against Zardari in that country be dropped.
The Swiss case against Zardari has remained closed since that notification. Appearing before a five-judge panel Tuesday, Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf said he has ordered his law minister to draft a letter to Swiss authorities withdrawing the 2008 notification.
The move would give Swiss authorities the option of reopening corruption proceedings against Zardari. However, the president likely would not face any renewed prosecution in Switzerland, since authorities there have always agreed with his aides that, as president, he has constitutional immunity from prosecution.
“It doesn’t mean a reopening" of the Swiss case against Zardari, said Rehman Malik, Pakistan’s interior minister and a longtime Zardari ally. “The prerogative is still with the Swiss authorities, and they will have to proceed according to law.”
The reasons why the government finally decided to submit itself to the will of the court are still under wraps. Given their record, I cannot believe that the drama is nearing its end. The move will only ensue further twists and we may find the two parties at loggerheads again over the drafting of the letter. Picture abhi baqi hey merey dost :)
Its perfectly timed. The statute of limitations according to some sources, was supposed to expire in mid-september. Sadly the supreme court may very well have made a fool of itself.
The reasons why the government finally decided to submit itself to the will of the court are still under wraps. Given their record, I cannot believe that the drama is nearing its end. The move will only ensue further twists and we may find the two parties at loggerheads again over the drafting of the letter. Picture abhi baqi hey merey dost :)
Its happening for 2 reasons.
1) Statute of limitations...which is over and Swiss are unlikely to purse the matter now.
2) The govt is not writing any letters. It will just withdraw previous notification, and say case stands at it was before NRO.
So, after that it will be up to Switzerland & as long state of Pakistan is not actively pursing the case nothing will happen.
That was expected. After Farooq Naik's secret visit to Switzerland where he allegedly discussed the matter with Swiss legal experts, Govt had decided to write the letter or withdraw the previous letter.
Shrewdness at its best. Govt will gain loads of votes with the timing of this clever move.
Zardari sb mahan hayn.. I just wish he could have used his ultra makkari for the good of Pakistan.
Makes you wonder why we had all the drama for the last couple of years but I guess they needed some diversion to keep the public's mind of the bad governance.
We would just like to confirm if our hard earned money has safely been transferred out of your country. Let us know if you have any legal brains available on rent as well.
Thank you,
Yours Truly,
Emperor Rental
on behalf of
Co Chorman,
Party on Peoples' Paisa (PPP)
That was expected. After Farooq Naik's secret visit to Switzerland where he allegedly discussed the matter with Swiss legal experts, Govt had decided to write the letter or withdraw the previous letter.
Shrewdness at its best. Govt will gain loads of votes with the timing of this clever move.
Zardari sb mahan hayn.. I just wish he could have used his ultra makkari for the good of Pakistan.
When govt was not writing letter to Swiss authorities people were complaining about it. Now the govt has agreed to write one you guys are still complaining about it. Some people are never happy... :D
When govt was not writing letter to Swiss authorities people were complaining about it. Now the govt has agreed to write one you guys are still complaining about it. Some people are never happy... :D
The purpose of writing the letter was to bring back the funds Zardari and Benazir stole. And Zardari's purpose of delaying was solely to save that money. Zardari won,and the supreme court in my view, has become a laughing stock. How could the supreme court not have kept a check on the statute of limitations issue? They were simply interested in getting Gillani to say yes to writing the letter, wihtout any focus on anything else.
So can we safely assume that Zardari again won? Anyways, I am tired of this childish bickering between the government and the supreme court, I hope they write the letter soon to put this case to rest once for all.
So can we safely assume that Zardari again won? Anyways, I am tired of this childish bickering between the government and the supreme court, I hope they write the letter soon to put this case to rest once for all.
I think its more a case of 'Pakistan lost' than 'Zardari won'. Zardari was trying to save his money, but not because he was short on funds or anything. It was primarily because he wanted to beat the Supreme Court with a meethi churri. And he did. I think the Supreme Court handled this issue sloppily.
^ there are so many cases which I believe are more important (Balochistan missing people) than this case and the supreme court is dragging their feet on them. No government would have initiated a case against themselves, and by government I mean any government and secondly when the president has immunity then what was supreme courts premise? If the government had sent the letter and the Swiss had rejected it, would that have counted as a victory for the supreme court?
As far as the looted money is concerned that's the property of people of Pakistan, if the people of Pakistan want to punish their tormentors they should vote them out comprehensively in the next elections. What's the use when after the next elections it seems the same looters will be sitting in the assemblies.
^ there are so many cases which I believe are more important (Balochistan missing people) than this case and the supreme court is dragging their feet on them. No government would have initiated a case against themselves, and by government I mean any government and secondly when the president has immunity then what was supreme courts premise? If the government had sent the letter and the Swiss had rejected it, would that have counted as a victory for the supreme court?
As far as the looted money is concerned that's the property of people of Pakistan, if the people of Pakistan want to punish their tormentors they should vote them out comprehensively in the next elections. What's the use when after the next elections it seems the same looters will be sitting in the assemblies.
Agreed. Supreme court had far better things to do than chase a mirage. The downside of this current scenario would be that since PPP govt is officially writing a letter, they would be able to sway a lot of independent voters their way....a vote of support based on sympathy, rather than performance.
^ Now they will write a letter which might not get the desired result of the Supreme Court, and in the meanwhile give them another point to score extra marks in the coming elections.
