Day of reckoning
 

ISLAMABAD: It was indeed a day of reckoning for many of the mightiest of the land. The first victim of an enraged Supreme Court, angry because its NRO judgment was not being implemented, went to jail on Tuesday and a 24-hour ultimatum was given to others to implement the court verdict, including writing the letter for the reopening the Swiss cases against President Zardari.

A six-member larger bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry directed Chairman National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Naveed Ahsen to implement the court’s verdict on the NRO by tomorrow (Wednesday) after a close friend of President Asif Ali Zardari, FIA officer Ahmed Riaz Sheikh was ordered to be sent to Adiala jail.

Other members of the bench included Justice Mian Shakirullah Jan, Justice Ch Ijaz Ahmed, Justice Tariq Pervez, Justice Asif Saeed Khosa and Justice Khalil-ur-Rehman Ramday.

Ahmad Riaz Shaikh was sent to jail and the court directed the chairman NAB to seize the assets of Shaikh and submit a report before the registrar of the apex court within three days. Soon after the court’s order, the police took Ahmed Riaz Sheikh into its custody and shifted him to Adiala jail.

The Swiss cases and repatriation of $60 million in President Zardari’s Swiss accounts reverberated repeatedly in the Supreme Court as the judges heard the chairman NAB and other officials.

Appearing on notice Chairman NAB Naveed Ahsen submitted his written statement however, the court expressed dissatisfaction over it, ruling that no progress has been made so far by NAB in the implementation of its order.

“Your report is not satisfactory Mr chairman and you will have to assure implementation of our verdict of December 16, 2009 in letter and spirit”, Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry said while addressing the NAB chairman.

Secretary Law Justice (retd) Muhammad Aqil Mirza also assured the court to implement the court’s order of December 16, 2009 by tomorrow, including taking action against former attorney general Malik Muhammad Qayyum for writing to the Swiss authorities in connection with the cases against President Asif Ali Zardari, removal of the prosecutor general NAB as well as taking measures for establishing extra accountability courts in the country.

The court enquired of the secretary law as to why he had failed so far to take action in this regard despite the announcement of the court verdict. The secretary law, however, assured the court to implement the court’s verdict by tomorrow (Wednesday).

The court while hearing a revived corruption reference against FIA’s Additional Director General (Economic Crimes Wing) Ahmed Riaz Sheikh restored his punishment of five years imprisonment and a fine of Rs20 million.

The court ordered the arrest after he appeared before the court and withdrew his appeal which he had filed in the apex court against his conviction, maintained by the Lahore High Court (LHC), originally awarded by the NAB court

Ahmed Riaz Sheikh was convicted and awarded 14-year rigorous incarceration along with imposition of a Rs20-million fine and confiscation of property by an accountability court on corruption charges in 2001.

He was dismissed from service in 2002. Later, he was reinstated under the NRO in 2008 by extending benefit of doubt. Before his conviction he was serving as deputy director. Moreover, he was also promoted to the position of FIA’s additional director general even after the NRO was declared null and void.

The court also expressed dissatisfaction over the replies submitted by the secretary interior, the additional secretary interior, the director general FIA, the secretary Establishment Division, the joint secretary Establishment Division and NAB’s acting chairman as well as chairman NAB in connection with the implementation of court’s verdict of December 16, 2009.

The court the other had issued show-cause notices to heads of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), the interior ministry, and officials of the Establishment Division for failing to implement its decision of December 16, 2009 on the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO).

Chairman and Acting Chairman NAB Naveed Ahsen, Irfan Nadeem, Additional Secretary Interior Raja Ahsan, Secretary Establishment Ismael Qurashi submitted their written replies but the court expressed dissatisfaction over it and will give its ruling in this regard today (Wednesday).