Swiss letter already written: Farooq Naek | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

Swiss letter already written: Farooq Naek

RAWALPINDI: Federal Law Minister Farooq H Naek has said that the Swiss letter, about which the Supreme Court is insisting, has already been written.

Talking to Geo News programme ‘Capital Talk’ host Hamid Mir, the minister said the matter does not relate to an ordinary person, but to the president of Pakistan. He said the head of the state also enjoys immunity in the Swiss courts.

“We will present our point of view in the Supreme Court that when the NAB chairman has already written the letter then why this practice is done again,” Naek added.The minister said the independent judiciary means an impartial judiciary. He said the government did not want any confrontation with the Supreme Court. “We believe in the rule of law,” he added.

To a question, Naek said the letter to the Swiss authorities be written when something exists, otherwise, it is useless. He said the Supreme Court has the jurisdiction to annul any law which is against the fundamental rights or public importance. He said the ordinance of 2003 was very complicated and there was not much difference between the ordinances of 2003 and 2012. “The Supreme Court by annulling the 2012 law brought the law of a dictator,” Naek said.

He insisted that the government enacted the new law not to save the prime minister, but to safeguard the official act. He said no presidential ordinance will be issued against the court order. However, he said, the government will file a review petition.

Naek further said that the cases against PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif were closed on the orders of the NAB chairman and now the same cases have been opened upon the request of the NAB chief. He said the Law Ministry and the government have nothing to do with these cases. “I am saying this on oath that NAB is an independent institution. NAB has its own autonomous board and I am not part of it.”

To another question, the minister said no new cases have been filed against Nawaz Sharif and all these cases were filed during the Musharraf era. He said the PPP and President Zardari did not believe in political victimisation. “Our prime minister was disqualified under the contempt of court law and we accepted the supremacy of the constitution.”

Naek dispelled the impression that President Zardari wants his re-election through the present assemblies. He said the clash between the institutions should be avoided to ensure rule of law and survival of democracy.

The News