The List Unveiled

The federal government on Saturday unveiled the list of 8041 persons, including President Asif Ali Zardari, sitting and former ministers, ambassadors, politicians and bureaucrats, who benefited from the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO).
Minister of State for Law and Justice Afzal Sindhu in answers to questions at a news conference said after the government decision not to table the NRO in the Parliament, all the cases will stand re-opened from November 29 as the four-month time given by the apex court would lapse on November 28. The minister said the government would accept the court decision on the NRO.
However, he evaded question whether or not the government would pursue the cases. He said most of the cases framed by former President Farooq Ahmed Khan Leghari against Pakistan People's Party leaders were politically motivated, adding that even PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif had expressed resentment over the cases instituted during his term of office.
Sindhu said he was directed by Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani earlier during the day, when he called on him to discuss the issue, to make public the names of the people who got benefited from the NRO. Giving details of the beneficiaries, he said that a total of 8041 people benefited from the NRO, of which 34 are politicians.
The minister named some beneficiaries including: President Asif Ali Zardari, Interior Minister Rehman Malik, Secretary General to the President with the rank and status of Federal Minister, Salman Farooqi, Ex-Advisor to Prime Minister A R Siddiqi, Pakistan's High Commissioner to UK Wajid Shams-ul-Hassan, ex-Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Haji Nawaz Khokhar, ex-Minister Anwar Saifullah and Pakistan Ambassador to the US Hussain Haqqani.
According to the list: mother of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, Nusrat Bhutto, Ex-MNA Chaudhry Shaukat Ali, Ex-Chairman, Zila Council Haji Kabir Khan, Ex-MNA Chaudhry Zulfiqar Ali, Ex-Chairman Zila Council/Ex-MPA Jehangir Badr, Ex-MNA/Federal Minister Malik Mushtaq Ahmad Awan, Ex-MPA Rana Nazir Ahmad, Ex-MNA/Minister Mian Muhammad Rashid, Ex-MPA Tariq Anees, Ex-MPA Chaudhry Abdul Hameed, Ex-MNA/Mayor Sargodha Mian Tariq Mehmood, Ex-Dy Speaker of the NA Haji Muhammad Nawaz Khokhar, Ex-MNA Asif Ali Zardari, Ex-MNA Nawab Muhammad Yousuf Talpur, Ex-MNA Anwar Saifullah Khan, Ex-MNA/Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar and Sardar Mansoor Leghari and EX-MNA Sadiq Ali Khan are among the beneficiaries of the NRO.
Agha Siraj Ahmad Durrani, Ex-Minister for Education Sindh, Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, Ex-Chief Minister NWFP and former Interior Minister, Ghani-ur-Rehman, Ex-Provincial Minister NWFP, Haji Gulsher Khan Ex-Senator and Habibullah Khan Kundi, Ex-Provincial Minister NWFP. Mir Baz Muhammad Khetran, Ex-Federal Minister is also on the list besides MQM Quaid Altaf Hussain, sitting ministers Dr Farooq Sattar, Babar Khan Ghouri, Sindh Governor Dr Ishrat-ul-Ibad, Noman Sehgal MNA, Waseem Akhtar, Saleem Shehzad, ex-Minister Interior, Kanwar Khalid Younas, Ex-MNA and Dr Safdar Baqri. Dr Imran Farooq and Shoaib Bukhari also got benefited from the NRO.
Ex-DG Intelligence Bureau Brigadier Imtiaz, ex-MD Printing Corporation of Pakistan, Pir Mukaram Ali Shah, Brigadier Aslam Hayat Qureshi (Retd), ex-Secretary Commerce, ex-Secretary Finance, Javed Talat were amongst top bureaucrats who are also on the list. The Law Minister said Altaf Hussain against whom 72 cases were withdrawn under the NRO had benefited the most, while in total 7793 people from Sindh got benefited in 3230 cases. He said former Principal Secretary to the ex-Prime Minister, Saeed Mehdi is also among the NRO beneficiaries.
The minister made it clear that "the spouse of the Prime Minister was not among the beneficiaries of the NRO while Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani was acquitted honourably by the court." The minister said the cases against politicians were framed for victimisation and in this regard he particularly referred to the cases made up by former President Farooq Leghari with "mala fide intentions."
He said the NRO has been given protection until November 28 and after that it would become null and void and the government will have to accept the verdict of the Supreme Court in this respect. "We will accept the court decision even if it is against the President," said the minister and added that Article 48 of the Constitution provides immunity to the office of President from appearing in court in person.