NRO case: court expects Raja to implement directives: SC

Resuming the hearing of National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) implementation case, a three-member bench led by Justice Nasir-ul-Mulk on Wednesday issued directives to Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) to inform the court about the details of instructions that he would be taking from prime minister, Raja Pervez Ashraf, in that regard.
In its order, the bench said that the then premier Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani was, convicted and sentenced for contempt over his refusal to act on the court's orders in relation to revival of cases against Asif Ali Zardari in Switzerland. As a consequence, he (Gilani) lost membership of the Parliament, the order added.
The then PM Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, was convicted and given a symbolic sentence of "till rising of the court" on April 26 after he refused to act on the SC orders to approach Swiss authorities to reopen graft cases against Asif Ali Zardari arguing that the office of the president had constitutional immunity within Pakistan and abroad. The court ruled on June 19 that he stood disqualified following his conviction for contempt.
"The new PM Raja Pervez Ashraf was elected last week and we expect that he will implement the court directives in NRO case," the bench said in its brief order. During the proceedings, the bench also reviewed the matter relating to illegal appointments of Adnan Khwaja as Chairman Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) and Ahmad Riaz Sheikh as Additional Director Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) by the then PM, Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani.
Dr Basit, the counsel for Adnan Khwaja and Ahmad Riaz Sheikh urged the court to de-list names of his clients from the cause list, saying their services were terminated and they have paid the fines. He also urged the court to clear his clients' names from the matter in hand. Upon which, Justice Asif Saeed Khosa said their matter would be decided after the court received a report pertaining to the case from National Accountability Bureau (NAB). Later the bench adjourned the hearing of case till July 12.