Foreign cases out of NRO purview, says Azeem
Staff Report

ISLAMABAD—Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Tariq Azim on Wednesday said that the National Reconciliation Ordinance would not apply on the cases pending against Benazir Bhutto at courts in foreign countries and if charged the government would not protect her.
The government would provide necessary evidence and witnesses if sought by any foreign court, he told a news conference at the PML House here. He referred to legal proceedings in Switzerland and Spain and said a Swiss investigating magistrate Vincent Fournier had completed investigation into money-laundering charges against the couple.
The magistrate, while giving the opinion that the case against the accused was now ready for trial, had sent a report to the Swiss Attorney General to take a decision, Tariq Azim said. Tariq Azim said that Ms.Bhutto on August 17, 2006 had challenged the status of the Pakistan government as a damaged party, but the Swiss investigating magistrate had rejected the request and reconfirmed the Government of Pakistan as a damaged party.
He said the Swiss magistrate had observed that Asif Ali Zardari did not show up in Geneva and that he had been adopting delaying tactics which were not acceptable. The Minister of State said that the magistrate had refused a request by Ms.Bhutto and Zardari to call former minister of state for finance Shahabuddin, ex-finance secretary Talat, former interior minister Naseerullah Babar, Raza Rabbani, Rana Rahim and Abu Bakar to give evidence as witnesses.
He said Ms Bhutto had stated the lawyers engaged by her were not being paid and they were voluntarily pursuing her cases. However, he said, the bills of all the lawyers were being paid from Varley Finance Limited a Luxembourg-based company.
Tariq Azim said that in the money laundering case Benazir Bhutto faced sentence up to 18 months and alleged that Benazir Bhutto had earned dollar 72 million through kickbacks in S.G.S and Cotecna cases. He said that Pakistan’s support on mutual assistance basis would continue.
Tariq Azim said the case in Spain, related to UN oil for food program involving two companies owned by Bhutto family, were investigated by the Spanish government which suspected the companies of being involved in money laundering. According to him the companies named Petrolin FZC and Tempo Global Gain FZC were based in Sjarjah and also had bank accounts in Spain.
He said large amounts were transferred between the two companies and then transferred to Al Mashriq Dubai. The Minister of State said the cases were not launched by the Pakistan government but these were initiated by the Spanish government that later informed the government in Islamabad.