Brought in by Pervez Musharraf, the country's previous president, the amnesty benefited thousands of politicians and senior figures including the late Benazir Bhuto. Accused of corruption, she would have been unable to return to Pakistan and campaign without it.

The implications are wide ranging for the government with Rehman Malik, the interior minister, and Ahmed Mukhtar, the defence minister, among the more than 250 reopened cases.  

Could this be a sign of a country plunging into further legal and political turmoil? And does the decision represent the beginning of yet another stand-off between the judiciary and the government?

Inside Story, with presenter Imran Garda, discusses the details with guests Amjad Malik, the chair of the association of Pakistani lawyers in the UK, and Jeremy Carver, the director of Transparency International.

This episode of Inside Story aired from Monday, December 21.