Pakistan government has constituted a three-member committee for 'speedy' disposal of cases pending in foreign courts against Benazir Bhutto and her husband.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan government has constituted a three-member committee for 'speedy' disposal of cases pending in foreign courts against former premier Benazir Bhutto and her husband Asif Ali Zardari.
The panel will comprise Attorney General Malik Qayyum, caretaker Law Minister Syed Afzal Haider and the law secretary. President Pervez Musharraf took the decision for 'speedy' disposal of cases pending in foreign courts, including those in Switzerland, against Bhutto and others.
Qayyum confirmed the setting up of the committee by the President. He said the panel is yet to prepare its terms of reference to carry out its task. "I cannot say (anything at this point) as we have yet to go into the details," he told The News when asked whether cases against Bhutto are being withdrawn.
The committee will have decision-making powers to deal with these cases, The News quoted official sources as saying.
Top jurist Sharifuddin Pirzada, Musharraf's main legal advisor, will have a consultative role with the committee. The committee was constituted on his Pirzada's advice, the report said.
Bhutto and members of her Pakistan People's Party have denied maintaining bank accounts in foreign lands.
Sources in the National Accountability Bureau Secretariat also said the presidential camp had given a clear signal to it to go ahead with investigations into alleged corruption cases against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his kin as these cases were different from that of Bhutto's.
NAB Deputy Prosecutor General Zulfiqar Bhutta said the cases against the Sharif family did not fall under the ambit of the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO), which granted amnesty to Bhutto in graft cases.
"These cases were constituted after the 1999 cut-off date and we will follow them accordingly."
He contended that the government was adopting a careful policy to avoid giving an impression of discrimination in view of the January 8 general election.
Sharif has been disqualified from contesting the polls because of his conviction on charges of terrorism and hijacking in 2000.
Meanwhile, Interpol's Saudi Arabian office has asked Pakistan to clarify if Bhutto and Zardari are on the government's list of "wanted people".
Interpol's headquarters in France had inquired in September about Bhutto's status and if she still was a "wanted person" after she had announced her plans to return to Pakistan from exile on October 18.
Federal Investigation Agency Director General Tariq Pervez confirmed that Interpol's Riyadh office had sought a clarification about Bhutto's status.
"Yes, Interpol Riyadh has inquired about the status of red (corner) notices issued against Ms Bhutto, and we have asked the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to guide us so that we could respond," Pervez was quoted as saying by the Dawn newspaper.
"Any country can ask Pakistan to update it on the status of red (corner) notices issued against a person."
Interpol had issued the notices against Bhutto and Zardari following a request from the Pakistan government in January 2006.
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