SC gives 24 hours to implement NRO verdict

ISLAMABAD – Supreme Court on Monday while issuing contempt of court notices on Chairman and Acting Chairman of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) set 24 hours deadline for implementation of its December 16th verdict on the National Reconciliation Order (NRO).
In its order, the apex court observed that no one was above the law and it did not matter if one was a king. The court directed the Chairman NAB to reopen all such cases pertaining to the NRO within as well as outside the country without any fear or hesitation. The court directed the NAB Chairman not to waste time in writing letters to the Law Minister or Attorney General and only follow the apex court’s judgement in this regard.
A six-member larger bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chuadhry and comprising of Justice Chaudhry Ijaz Ahmad, Justice Shakirullah Jan, Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa, Justice Tariq Pervez and Justice Khalilur Rehman Ramday heard a number of the NRO related cases, which stood revived after its decision on December 16 last year.
The court summoned the Acting Chairman NAB, DG FIA, Secretary Interior, Joint Secretary Establishment in the court for not implementing the apex court’s verdict in letter and sprit and issued show cause notices on them and asked them to explain their position before the court on Tuesday (today).
The bench observed that the SC gave appropriate time of four months to the Parliament to decide the fate of NRO but in the TV talk shows and newspapers all were criticising only judges and seeking reforms for the SC instead of implementing its verdict accordingly.
The court asked the Acting Chairman NAB to explain what authority was preventing him form complying with the court’s orders and as to why the cases had not been reopened so far. If a king is involved, he would have to come to pre-NRO position, it observed. Pakistan is only country in the world where the judges make requests for implementation of their orders, the court further observed.
During the course of hearing of a case pertaining to Ahmad Riaz Sheikh, the CJ observed that it should be made clear why the cases had not been reopened against him so far. The bench ordered the Acting Chairman NAB to submit detailed report and directed him to appear before the court Tuesday (today). “They want to hush up everything, nothing will happen to them but you will have to go behind the bars,” the court told the Acting Chairman NAB.

Source: http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Politics/30-Mar-2010/SC-gives-24-hours-to-implement-NRO-verdict