Pakistan's Supreme Court verdict to revive corruption cases against President Asif Ali Zardari will not affect the president, presidential spokesman said Wednesday.
Supreme Court Wednesday revoked a controversial law which had granted amnesty to President Zardari, several sitting ministers and thousands of politicians and bureaucrats, who were accused of corruption, embezzlement,
money-laundering, murder and terrorism.
A 17-member judges bench ruled that all corruption cases are revived against those who were given amnesty under the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO), which was issued by the former President Pervez Musharraf
on Oct. 5, 2007 as part of a political deal to allow Zardari's wife, former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, to return from years of exile to Pakistan.
The president of Pakistan enjoys immunity under the constitution and no criminal proceedings whatsoever shall be initiated against the president in any court, Presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar told reporters after the verdict was announced.
Babar said that the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) respects the courts and the Supreme Court's verdict.
"The Peoples Party in the past faced challenges and will face in future," the spokesman said. He said PPP and its leaders are not afraid of any verdict.
When asked as to why President Zardari does not quit morally, the spokesman said that 12 years ago no case was proved against Zardari and the conviction was also overturned by the Supreme Court.
The NRO, termed as most notorious act of constitution, was challenged in the Supreme Court and a 17-member bench of the apex court in a unanimous short verdict revoked the NRO and described as contrary to the constitution.
In November 2009, the government of Pakistan released the list of the beneficiaries of the National Reconciliation Ordinance on the directives of Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani.
State Minister for Law Afzal Sindhu said at a news conference that a total of 8,041 people including 34 politicians, bureaucrats and three
ambassadors took benefit from the ordinance.