ISLAMABAD: The federal and all four provincial governments refused to defend the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) before the Supreme Court (SC), Geo News reported Monday.The full court comprising 17 judges headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Iftikhar Muhammed Chaudhry started hearing ten NRO-related petitions.
The petitioners including Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)’s former leader Dr Mubashshir Hasan, former Bureaucrat Roedad Khan and former Jamaat Islami (JI) Chief Qazi Hussain Ahmed.
During the hearing, the Acting Attorney General Shah Khaver told the judiciary that Government of Pakistan reiterates that the 17th Amendment has affected the basic contours of the Constitution, adding the government believes in the supremacy of the Constitution of 73.
The court gave remarks that the issue being heard is not 17th Amendment; rather, it is the NRO. On this, Acting AG said the government will not defend the NRO.
Similarly, the Advocate Generals of four provinces and the NAB prosecutor said they would not defend the Ordinance either.
Supreme Court queried about the repercussions if the government is determined on not defending the Ordinance.
The judiciary also directed to submit the discussion over the NRO in the Parliament and National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Law.
Later on, the petitioner Dr Mubashshir Hasan’s counsel commenced the arguments against the Ordinance.
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