The NRO is probably the most discussed topic in Pakistan. A presidential ordinance issued by Pervez Musharraf on Oct 5, 2007, it aimed at providing amnesty to all those who were allegedly involved in some political cases and were not proved guilty.

The NRO is also being used as a tool for character assassination. It is also unjust, however, to label all the NRO beneficiaries as guilty because courts are so far unable to prove such cases against them. Salman Farooqui, Agha Siraj Durrani and Senator Jahanger Badar were acquitted by the court.

Unfortunately the additional note on the NRO verdict has been ignored which was written by Justice Sardar Muhammad Raza Khan.

He writes: “Many accountability cases were politically-motivated, politically-indicted, and politically-prolonged as sword of Damocles.

“If genuine, why were they dishonestly prolonged and no verdict obtained against the accused involved? Attaining benefit from the NRO is no crime in itself, neither does it prove that the beneficiaries are all guilty, the verdict rather provides them a chance to prove their innocence via courts of law”.

Why has such an important additional note been ignored by the court and the free media. While demanding resignations, the opposition must remember that they were greater indirect beneficiaries of NRO.

SHAFIQ SOLANGI

Islamabad