Dec.20, 2009

A constitutional petition has been moved in Supreme Court challenging re-opening of Swiss cases against President Asif Ali Zardari.

Watan Party through Barrister Zafar Ullah has filed the petition at SC Lahore registry.

The petitioner stated that it is beyond the jurisdiction of the apex court to demand re-opening of cases registered against Zardari in Switzerland.

He stated that money-laundering cases were pending in Swiss court against Zaradri and his slain wife Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and they appeared before the court because they were common citizen at that time.

Now Zaradri is President of Pakistan and state immunity is attached to his office. Being a president he cannot be summoned or sued in any case by any court of Pakistan or of foreign country.

He said president enjoyed immunity from criminal proceedings under article 248 of the Constitution.

He said that the apex court has no right to order re-opening of cases within or outside the country against President Zardari because not only article 248 provides indemnity to President of Pakistan but also entitles sovereign immunity to Zardari in foreign countries.

He stated that the Supreme Court should review its decision of re-opening cases and declare the orders issued in this connection as void.

The Supreme Court had ordered the reopening of a money-laundering case being heard at a Swiss court. He said these cases were withdrawn under the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO).

Pb Govt abandoning public welfare projects: Zaheer

The best project of Punjab’s development ‘Lahore-Sialkot Motorway’ is abandoned as the ‘scrap lover’ rulers wanted to turn the province into a bulk of scrap, says Ch Zaheerud Din, provincial Secretary General PML-Q.

Ch Zaheer, who is also Leader of the Opposition in Punjab Assembly, expressed these views while talking to party leaders and workers on Saturday at Muslim League House.

He asked the provincial Law Minister Rana Sana Ullah that he instead of levelling baseless charges against the opposition parties should inform the masses about the performance of their government.

He said Chief Minister Punjab was not only surrendering the water share of the Punjab but also abandoning the public welfare projects.

He said the people of Punjab would remember 2009 as year of price-hike and era of worst law and order situation and poor economic and administrative policies.