By Li Jingchen
ISLAMABAD, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- The Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan Wednesday unanimously set aside the controversial National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO), declaring it null and void. All cases involving NRO beneficiaries would be automatically reopened.
The decision will affect more than 8,000 NRO beneficiaries including Asif Ali Zardari, the incumbent Pakistani president, thus leaving the already complicated political situation in the South Asian country with more uncertainties.
Almost all major newspapers on their Thursday editions carried the SC decision stories on their frontpages. The Daily Times in its cross-column title story "SC strikes down NRO" hailed that justice is served. The Dawn said that the decision was a landmark judgment in the judicial history of Pakistan and the first step toward a corruption-free country. The Nation said that the SC in effect gave a vote of no-confidence to the government and this ushered a new dawn of an independent and responsive higher judiciary. The News said that the SC corrected a historic mistake.
On Islamabad streets, Pakistanis contacted Thursday by Xinhua gave their full support to the SC decision.
"It's a very good decision. Those ministers who have taken the Pakistani money abroad should be removed and the government should recover money from them for the poor people of Pakistan," Ejaz said.
"Not only me. It's a great concern for the Pakistani people. All of them appreciate the judgment," Amjad Chattah said. "After 62 years of Pakistan's creation, the supreme court gave such a great decision which is appreciated by every walk of life."
The NRO, issued by then President Pervez Musharraf on October 5,2007, was part of his political deal to allow Zardari's wife, former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, to return from years of exile to Pakistan. A total of 8,041 people including 34 politicians took benefit from the ordinance.
After the SC verdict, presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar told reporters that the president of Pakistan enjoys immunity under the constitution and no criminal proceedings whatsoever shall be initiated against the president in any court.
He insisted that Zardari's resignation is out of question.
In reaction to the SC decision, Zardari claimed that he is ready to face all kinds of challenges as he wants to save Pakistan from turning into another Afghanistan.
Talking to a group of Pakistani journalists in the president house in Islamabad, Zardari said he is ready to face all the challenges in the same way as Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto faced them.
Apart from playing the war on terror card, Zardari is also making efforts to woo the opposition.
November 28, 2009 was the last day for the NRO to expire automatically without the parliament approval. Under increasing pressure for him to step down, Zardari telephoned Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) chief Mian Nawaz Sharif on November 29, also the second day of the EID.
Both of them exchanged EID greetings and views on the national political scenario and agreed that enactment of the constitution is essential for the national solidity.
So far Sharif has made no comment publicly about the SC decision on the NRO.
However, Shehbaz Sharif, Nawaz's brother and Chief Minister of the Punjab province said that as a result of this decision, supremacy of law would be strengthened and the process of accountability would be effective and transparent.
Analysts noticed the different reactions from the media, the public and the major opposition. However, certain changes might be hatched under the current relatively calm situation. But in what form or manner the changes will take place, only time will tell.
The United States is also a key factor to determine the political trend in Pakistan. Urged by the United States, Pakistan launched two major military operations against Taliban militants in the country's northwest in 2009. The offensive in the Swat valley has somewhat come to an end and the operation in South Waziristan is still going on.
Analysts noted that the U.S. is unwilling to see any abrupt change in the political arena of Pakistan in case that war on terror is disrupted.
Special Report: Pakistani Situation
