ISLAMABAD: The government is getting ready to defend President Asif Ali Zardari's position in the Supreme Court on April 11 when the apex court resumes hearing in the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) case.

“The stance of the government will remain the same, as adopted during the last hearing of the case, which is that President Asif Ali Zardari enjoys immunity and no case can be initiated against a sitting president,” president's spokesman Farhatullah Babar said.

He said the government would defend its stance and the old panel of lawyers would represent it.

When asked why the case had been reopened after a long gap, the spokesman said: “It is the prerogative of the apex court and I cannot comment on it.”

NAB's deputy chairman Javed Kazi had recently stayed for four days in Karachi when President Asif Ali Zardari was there.

The NAB spokesman confirmed that the deputy chairman was on an official visit to Karachi.

When asked for any possibility of NAB's deputy chairman meeting the president recently, the president's spokesman said: “I have no idea about it because no formal meeting was held between the two.”

Meanwhile, a source in the National Accountability Bureau said on Tuesday that the bureau had already submitted a report in the Supreme Court about NRO cases and its beneficiaries, including President Asif Ali Zardari.

The report carried the signature of recently-removed NAB chairman Justice (retd) Deedar Hussain Shah.

The source said the report did not contain details and present status of NRO cases and NAB's action on them.

The source said the NAB's deputy chairman had recently met Senate chairman Farooq Naek.

Meanwhile, the government is working also on the important case of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's death sentence which the apex court will take up for hearing on April 13.

“We are finalising a panel of seasoned lawyers to fight the case,” the president's spokesman said.

Mr Babar was reluctant to disclose names of the lawyers included in the panel.