Supreme Court of Pakistan has sought written reply regarding alleged threats to senior counsel Kamal
Azfar and has directed the federation counsel Babar Awan to present his
point of view on SC verdict against National Reconciliation Ordinance
(NRO) promulgated by former president Pervaiz Musharraf.
A 17-member full court of SC headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar
Muhammad Chaudhry on Monday heard the review petition filed by
federation against SC verdict in which NRO had been declared null and
void by the apex court.
Chief Justice has remarked that why federation is defending the black
law of NRO, but any affected of the decision had not filed even a
single review case in the court. Why federation is defending a black law
of a dictator, CJ added.
Chief Justice Chaudhry remarked what a court can do if the government
is unable to protect its counsels, adding the government did not take
up any step regarding the issue of Kamal Azfar.
The CJ directed the federation to submit written assurance that Zafar
is still at jeopardy. Also, the court stressed plea to change the
counsel will be considered only on condition that the federal secretary
clarifies the situation with reference to the law.
Giving arguments for the plea, former Federal Law Minister Babar Awan
said the apex court had already consented Kamal Azfar to quit the case.
The CJ said the situation under which Kamal Azfar had to part from
the case is not quite ‘digestible’, adding Babar Awan will be given some
other government office if he starts pleading the case.
Babar Awan said the court acceded to Latif Khosa as the counsel. The
CJ Chaudhry said he was accepted as Kamal Azfar had been made an
advisor, adding that history elucidates the attitude of the federal
government as Kamal Azfar was made adviser seven days before the
hearing.
During course of hearing, the chief justice expressed concerns over
why the federal government wanted to defend a law which had been termed
as the ‘Black Law’ by former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in her book.
Awan asked the court for more time to prepare for the case so he can
be better equipped at informing the court regarding the NRO.
The chief justice said that the court had sent ordinances to the
parliament but the law allowing a client to change his counsel was never
endorsed by the parliament.
Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik, Defence Minister Chaudhry
Ahmed Mukhtar, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Spokesman of
Presidency Farhatullah Babar, Media advisor to President, Farahnaz
Isfahani, MNA Gull Muhammad Khan Jakhrani and other leaders of PPP were
also present in the court during the hearing of NRO case.
Awan, after the hearing, informed the media that the Supreme Court
has asked him to present his point of view regarding the judgment review
of the NRO so it can decide if he has the permission from the
federation to represent it.
It is worth mentioning here that SC is hearing the government’s
petition for a review of the verdict which had struck down the National
Reconciliation Ordinance in December 2009. SANA
