NAB says withdraw SGS case on directives of ex-AG

Updated at: 1534 PST, Wednesday, December 09, 2009

ISLAMABAD: National Accountability Bureau (NAB) presented the details of President Asif Ali Zardari’s Swiss accounts; while Sindh Advocate General presented the list of criminal cases abolished through National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) in Sindh.The court also raised questions over the safety of Swiss records.A 17-judge larger bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Iftikhar Muhammed Chaudhry is hearing the petitions against the NRO today on the third consecutive day.Today before the interval, when the Sindh AG presented 180-page list of criminal cases abolished through the NRO in Sindh, the CJ asked as to where are the government orders regarding abolishment of these cases.Chief Justice Chaudhry queried as to why the orders of the provincial government regarding abolishment of the cases are not included in the report, adding if the provincial government did not abolish the cases, then all the cases would be deemed pending.Justice Javed Iqbal in his remarks expressed dissatisfaction over Sindh list and termed it ‘incomplete’. He also voiced displeasure over not giving the list to all the parties to the case.The Advocate General was directed to contact the Chief Secretary and apprise the court of government orders.Abdul Hafeez Pirzadah said in his arguments said the Parliament spurned to turn the NRO into law and this has never been a law.Justice Khalilur Rehman Ramday said in his remarks several people took benefit from the NRO; but, there is nobody at present to defend it.The NAB also presented two-page details of President Zardari’s Swiss accounts and references.The NAB’s counsel Abdul Baseer Qureshi said the Bureau filed an application to the Swiss Bank for the transfer of $60 million; however, later on, the application was withdrawn.The NAB’s Prosecutor General Danishwar Malik said he was commissioned to bring back the Swiss case record, which he left in London, so that it may be transferred to Pakistan in diplomatic bag.On this, the court queried as to why the record was not brought in diplomatic bag from its first place in Geneva. Justice Raja Fayyaz said the Swiss record was earlier safe; but now it is otherwise.Chairman NAB Naveed Ahsan informed the court that NAB had took back $60 million SGS case in Swiss court on the directives of office of attorney general. A case of foreign assets worth $1.5 million and $60 million Swiss accounts cases were filed against Asif Zardari. He said out of $60 million, $13 million is freeze. He requested the court to give time for the submission of remaining details.In his remarks, Justice Khalilur Rehman Ramday said among those none of single NRO beneficiary came forward to defend NRO.On the complaint of acting attorney general, the court has directed the electronic media not to discuss the case in talk shows.