Swiss Case

A controversy is raging in the media over the Swiss case in which the SC has asked the government to write a letter to the Swiss court to reopen it but the government considers the case to be a matter of the past and closed and that which  cannot be reopened again. The government also holds that the President enjoys indemnity under article 248 and cannot be tried by any court of law – national or international. The government is also of the view that the cases were politically motivated and as such false. This all is leading to an inevitable confrontation between the two most important organs of the state which is not at all desirable.  I have a simple suggestion to make to avoid the confrontation. During the course of its proceedings the Swiss court had unearthed a sum of 60 or 62 millions dollars in some bank account which was neither accounted for nor was not claimed by anyone. After the annulment of the NRO and the withdr awal of the case from the Swiss court that huge amount has probably found its way again to its original bank account. If no one had indulged in any corruption and none could claim or account for the 60 million dollars, the best would be that it should be reimbursed to the state exchequer of Pakistan and the Swiss case not reopened. I think it would suit all parties, apart from saving the government millions in pursuing the case in the Swiss courts for God alone knows how many more years.

Col. Riaz Jafri (Retd)