Verdict will not endanger the system: SC

ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court of Pakistan has warned to take action if the situation like November 2007 was created in the country, asserting that court’s verdict in NRO cases will not destabilize the system, reported ARY NEWS.

During the hearing of petitions against National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO), Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry asked the Federation as to how the court’s ruling is going to affect the democracy in the country. The CJ observed that if it is being feared that the verdict will cause November 3-like situation, the Federation should intimate the court in this connection so that an immediate stay order could be issued.

The CJ was commenting on counsel of the Federation, Kamal Azfar’s statement, in which he claimed that the democracy in the country is in danger from non-democratic forces which according to him are present from CIA to GHQ.

CJ Chaudhry remarked that the bench hearing the cases was sitting for the supremacy of democracy and the law and such allegations could not be tolerated. He said all the judges sitting here have been part of the struggle for the restoration of the democracy.

The court ordered the Federation’s counsel to submit clear statement on oath regarding dangers to the democracy and directed the Federal Secretary to appear before the court on the issue.

Federation’s counsel Barrister Kamal Azfar requested the court to announce sentence for the money-looters and that the looted money be brought back into the country.

The details of Swiss case and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) report on President Asif Ali Zardari’s foreign assets and expenditures were presented to the court.

The NAB further said the case was remanded to the magistrate for review after the objections put forward by Benazir Bhutto.

The NAB report said Asif Zardari was awarded six-month sentence for not appearing before the Swaiss court.

The report further said the Swiss court ordered the return of $8.3 million to the government of Pakistan.

Later, Supreme Court’s 17-member larger bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan adjourned the hearing of petitions till Tuesday (tomorrow).