|
NRO 2007 sent
to President for approval, promulgation
Staff Report
ISLAMABAD—The Federal Cabinet on Friday approved the National
Reconciliation Ordinance 2007 and sent it to the President for assent
and promulgation.
The ordinance is aimed at promoting national reconciliation, fostering
mutual trust and confidence amongst holders of public office and
minimizes possibility of political victmisation and election rigging.
The salient features of the proposed ordinance were explained to the
media persons by Minister for Information Muhammad Ali Durrani, Minister
for Law Zahid Hamid and PML (Q) Secretary-General Mushahid Hussain Syed
at a joint news conference here on Friday.
The ordinance envisages indemnity for NAB cases against holders of
public offices instituted before October 12, 1999 that remain undecided
and the persons involved have not been convicted. They clarified that
the indemnity would apply across the board but the period of the present
government has not been included in it because of transparency and good
governance during this period.
To a question they said there were five such cases against PPP
Chairperson Benazir Bhutto and six against her spouse Asif Ali Zardari.
Responding to a question the law minister said the ordinance would not
cover cases registered in connection with cooperative societies and
finance investment companies.
The Minister for Law said Section 494 of Criminal Procedure Code is also
being amended empowering Federal and Provincial governments to withdraw
from prosecution against any person whether political or not if he is
found to be falsely involved for political reasons and victimisation. A
Review Board would be set up to exercise this power. The Federal Review
Board would be headed by a retired judge of the Supreme Court and
Attorney-General of Pakistan and Federal Law Secretary would be its
members. Provincial Review Boards would be led by a retired judge of a
high court and its members would include advocate-generals and
provincial law secretaries.
The Minister said under the ordinance the NAB has been made accountable
to Parliament. The Law Minister Zahid Hamid and Senator Mushahid pointed
out that the National Reconciliation Ordinance includes an important
amendment in Representation of Peoples Act under which the possibilities
of rigging would be minimized.
‘NRO 2007 important step
towards reforms’
ISLAMABAD—Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has described the National
Reconciliation Ordinance 2007 as an important step in creating an
atmosphere of tolerance and harmony in national politics, free of
vendetta and polarization that marred the national political scene in
the decades of 1980 and 1990.
The premier was addressing a meeting of the Federal Cabinet here today
which met to consider a number of subjects including the National
Reconciliation Ordinance, 2007. He highlighted the fact that the
proposed Ordinance includes important elements to ensure transparency of
the election process through amendment in the Representation of the
People Act under which the Returning Officer shall give a copy of the
result of the count to all contesting candidates.—Agencies |
