ISLAMABAD, Oct 9: Roedad Khan, a retired bureaucrat, on Tuesday moved the Supreme Court against the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) 2007, saying it was against the law and the government lacked legislative competence to promulgate it.

Filed through his lawyer Advocate Mohammad Ikram Chaudhry, the petitioner pleaded that the ordinance was against articles 2-A (Objective Resolution to form part of the Constitution), 4 (right of individual to be dealt with in accordance with the law), 8 (laws inconsistent or in derogation of the fundamental rights to be void) and 25 (equality of citizens) of the Constitution.

President Pervez Musharraf had on Friday promulgated the NRO 2007 to give immediate relief to PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto. She will get indemnity in all cases that were registered against her by the Nawaz Sharif government.

The promulgation of ordinance, however, prompted filing of a number of petitions in the apex and high courts seeking adjudication against the legality of the ordinance. The petitioners contend that the ordinance ‘patently and manifestly’ violates Article 25 of the Constitution because it provided for withdrawal of cases only against the holders of public offices.

Mr Roedad in his petition argued that the NRO would pave way for illegal and unjustifiable withdrawal of cases against individuals/politicians who committed fraud on national exchequer and the people.

“The controversial ordinance will deprive people of their rights and negate the concept of rule of law on the basis of political expediencies,” the petition said.