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UK LAWYERS LAUDED SUPREME COURT OF PAKISTAN DECISION ON NRO
Association of Pakistani Lawyers, a team of Pakistani origin lawyers, Solicitors, Barristers, Judges in UK has highly praised the Supreme Court decision declaring NRO ultra vires and against the true spirit of constitution and its various tenants and termed it a balanced and well thought short order which has not only given direction for future but kept it within the limits of the constitution, thus promoted rule of law and constitutionalism in Pakistan.
APL demanded that all those on public positions who have benefited from NRO must offer themselves to the mercy of courts voluntarily, and leave the positions where they would not be in, had they been not the beneficiaries of notorious NRO on 5 October 2007.
APL Chair said that it is a state failure that no reliable mechanism of adjudicating corruption was ensued in the past. Now we must acknowledge that system promotes corruption in each class and cadre, and we must deter that activity by mutual political will, and only then we can come to second question of finding a solution to it where we will find prima facie allegations of corruption, investigation, adjudication and punishment fairly and properly where justice is seen to be done. No one is above the law must be the message.
He said APL is of the view that a new Commission must be set up forthwith in line with the Accountability process which had consensus of two major parties in Charter of democracy and chair of the commission shall meet the standard of political impartiality, judicial propriety, moderate views expressed through his judgements.
He said that Lesson of history is that we do not learn any lesson from it, and that’s what politicians did with ‘charter of Democracy’ what people do with history. Pakistan must start a mechanism of transparent accountability, then all allegations and cases must be diverted to that new body for fair assessment and or adjudication. Unless we initiate a process to clear a backlog , we will keep running in circles.
APL has said that no one is immune in the country from any prosecution and none is clean either, so the Parliament may consider a policy of reconciliation for those in the backlog system by admission of guilt, seeking forgiveness from the public and state, and return of looted public money and redemption must be considered in line with ‘South African Style Truth and Reconciliation’ and all criminal allegations must be considered within a time frame to root out the chaff from the grain addressing the complaints of the aggrieved.
APL chair said that We must get on with the job turning a new leaf, otherwise we will be running in circles forever and ever, and APL hopes that leaders of the day realises the challenges faced by the nation and rather than revenge, revert to progress and public service with a good governance as its hawl mark following ‘unity, faith and discipline’ in their individual and national life.
Barrister Amjad Malik
Chair &
Members of the Executive
Association of Pakistani Lawyers (UK)
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