Graft cases against Zardari- India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

Pakistan premier Raja Pervez Ashraf's assurance to the Supreme Court to write to Swiss authorities asking to reopen graft cases against President Asif Ali Zardari is nothing but a mere 'trick' by the government to buy more time. "President Zardari has performed a new trick aimed at saving his second prime minister from disqualification," The News quoted sources in the ruling coalition, as saying. "The disposal of the case will show to which extent the president has succeeded in this maneuver but for now he has succeeded to the extent of getting the prime minister exempted from personal appearance in the court and has detached himself and the prime minister from the case by handing over future court proceedings to the law minister," sources added. They clearly stated that the letter would not be written, but the government would continue giving the impression that it would do so to gain more time from the court. Sources said Ashraf transferred the burden of the case onto the law minister, while Zardari would continue enjoying immunity from the judicial proceedings. Ashraf on Tuesday succeeded in getting exemption from court appearances and now the law minister and the court would be in a face-to-face in the coming days, sources said. They also revealed that the law minister would present a draft letter in the court and if the court was not satisfied, it would ask that the letter be drafted afresh for which the government would get more time. They said that if the court was once again dissatisfied, it would become difficult for the law minister to save his skin. According to a source, President Zardari, during the meeting on Monday night with allied leaders, vowed to save his second prime minister and if this did not happen, a woman would be brought forward as the next prime minister.

'Pakistan Govt is delaying Swiss letter case'