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| India-Pakistan |
| Move to seize all assets of Zardari |
| 2010-01-23 |
| [Bangla Daily Star] Action to seize the assets of Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has begun following a National Accountability Bureau (NAB) order asking the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration to freeze all his assets under its jurisdiction. Besides other properties, NAB's latest order would immediately hit the 2,460 kanals of Sangjani land, which was a frozen asset before the NRO, but was unfrozen in early 2009 and transferred in the name of a private company owned by President Zardari, his son Bilawal Zardari and others. The NAB spokesman Ghazni said that NAB is acting strictly in accordance with the law and the Supreme Court's decision and weekly progress reports is regularly being submitted to the apex court, The News reports. Within a few days of the December 16 short order of the Supreme Court, the NAB had issued freezing order for the assets of all other NRO beneficiaries, but in case of Zardari, the NAB did not move apparently due to his constitutional immunity. However, now after the announcement of the detailed judgment, which directed NAB and all other concerned authorities to revive the pre-NRO position in all cases, the NAB has also moved on Zardari's case. Earlier Punjab province Law Minister Rana Sanaullah has said President Zardari does not enjoy 'legal immunity' in the wake of the Supreme Court's order on the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO). Interacting with reporters, Sanaullah said, "The president has no immunity under Article 248(2), because the SC verdict does not addressed the article and its specific clause." The Daily Times quoted Sanaullah, as saying that Parliament's decision regarding providing immunity to the President under the Constitution is yet to come. |
| Posted by:Fred |