Pak SC issues notices to officials for failure to implement NRO verdict - India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

Pakistan's Supreme Court on Monday issued contempt of court notices to the country's Interior Secretary, the Director-General Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the Additional Secretary (Interior) and the Joint Secretary (Establishment Division), for failing to implement the court’s verdict on the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO). According to the Dawn, the apex court directed the DG FIA to immediately rescind orders promoting convicted FIA official Ahmed Riaz Sheikh. Sheikh, who was the head of the FIA’s Economic Crime Wing (ECW), was convicted over corruption charges and was dismissed from the FIA in 2002. He was reinstated after the NRO’s promulgation in 2008 and after getting the benefit of doubt. Moreover, he was also promoted to the position of Additional DG FIA even after the NRO was declared null and void. Simultaneously, the court made an indirect reference to the constitutional immunity enjoyed by President Asif Ali Zardari by saying that no one, not even a king, can enjoy any benefit of the struck down NRO. The Supreme Court of Pakistan also gave a day's ultimatum to the National Accountability Bureau to reopen cases both at home and abroad, and slapped a contempt of court notice on acting Chairman of NAB, Naveed Ahsan. According to the newspaper, the Supreme Court had given a detailed verdict on December 16, 2009, to implement the verdict which was passed to open the 8,000 cases against all the NRO beneficiaries except for President Asif Ali Zardari, who enjoys constitutional immunity. The court, which had been delaying the proceedings and the reopening of cases, has now issued an ultimatum to the NAB chairman. The official has already submitted his resignation and is on leave. An acting chairman is running the office.