NRO case: Top court serves notices on Musharraf, Zardari

ISLAMABAD - The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notices to former military and civilian rulers and other in a petition against the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO).

A three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, hearing the petition filed by Feroz Shah Gilani served notices on former presidents General (retd) Pervez Musharraf and Asif Ali Zardari, former attorney-general Justice (retd) Malik Qayyum and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

The NRO was issued by Musharraf, on 5 October 2007, granting amnesty to politicians, political workers and bureaucrats who were accused of corruption, embezzlement, money laundering, murder, and terrorism between 1 January 1986, and 12 October 1999.

It was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court of Pakistan on 16 December 2009.

The petitioner pleaded before the court that the controversial ordinance brought a loss of billions of rupees to the national exchequer. He said that the person who introduced the law must return the amount.

During the hearing, the chief justice inquired from the petitioner about the purpose of the petition, besides observing that the top court had already declared the ordinance null and void.

However, the court issued notices to the respondents and sought replies from them by adjourning hearing for a month.