Implement court's order before 27th, Supreme Court asks government

The Supreme Court was informed on Thursday that the government had been making serious efforts to comply with apex court's orders in relation to its verdict on National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) case. A five-member special bench comprising Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa, Justice Sarmad Jalal, Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan, Justice Gulzar Ahmed and Justice Athar Saeed heard government's review petition against its July 12 order on NRO implementation case.
Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Irfan Qadir submitted before the court that he had held a meeting with Prime Minister. In that meeting, he added the Law Minister was also present. During the meeting with the premier, he said, matters relating to implementation of NRO case verdict were discussed in detail and it was decided that more time would be sought from the court with a view to holding purposeful consultations on the issue. Seeking more time, the AG contended that the government was seriously looking into the matter and would consult other concerned people to resolve the issue.
Justice Khosa, told the AGP that he regularly made promises but failed to keep them. "You have time till August 27 as the Prime Minister has been summoned. Hence, you should ensure implementation of the court's order on NRO before August 27," Justice Khosa told the AGP.
Meanwhile, Law Minister Farooq H Naek appeared before the court where he submitted that the government did not want confrontation between the institutions. He sought some time for holding consultations with party stalwarts for an amicable resolution of the issue.
Justice Khosa observed that nobody wanted to derail the democratic system, adding that if Prime Minister failed to appear before the court on August 27, "the law will take its course." Meanwhile, the court adjourned the hearing for date-in office. However, it clarified that adjourning the case for an indefinite period did not mean a stay order on NRO Implementation case. Justice Khosa said that summoning the PM on August 27 was a separate issue.