PPP’s talk on NRO case

Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf on Friday had a meeting with Law Minister Farooq H. Naek on the possible options he (Raja) could opt to in connection with the NRO implementation case wherein he was served with a show-cause notice for not complying with the court directives.

Sources aware of the behind the scene deliberations told TheNation Naek made it clear to the prime minister that the only way out for him was compliance with the apex court’s order.

Later, Prime Minister Raja also had a brief interaction with President Asif Ali Zardari late in the evening wherein the matter also came under discussion and it was decided that the president would again held a meeting with the heads of coalition parties in next couple of days to evolve a strategy to break impasse and to resolve the issue without a clash with the superior judiciary.

Sources in the PPP said the party leadership was sharply divided on the issue as majority of the hawks in the party were against writing letter to the Swiss authorities. On the other hand, some elements, including the legal brains, were of the view that government act otherwise, as writing the letter would be of little or no legal implication at this stage given that the cases in Switzerland had become time barred.

But those, who oppose writing the letter, view it detrimental to the party, as they say the political opponents would use it against them in the upcoming general elections, especially when PPP Co-Chairman Zardari had time and again said that writing of letter to Swiss authorities would tantamount to putting the grave of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto on trial and they would not write letter come what may.

Sources in the party said the prime minister’s legal team would again try to buy more time from the apex court, but Naek was not much optimistic in this connection and he had expressed his views during his meeting with Raja.

Sources further said some of the legal minds of the party were suggesting that the prime minister should skip the appearing before the court on September 18 and his lawyer should try to take time, while some of opined that the premier should take shelter in the Article 248 of the Constitution.

As the NRO implementation case lingers on, some circles are of the view that the Swiss letter issue has paralysed the state-machinery and created confusion in the country. Political pundits say earlier resolution of the problem is a must for the stability in the country.

Source: nation.com.pk

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