Prime Minister Raja Pervez in the dock as show-cause hearing resumes

DAWN.COM

The Supreme Court on Tuesday resumed the hearing in the show-cause notice for contempt of court over the NRO implementation case, DawnNews reported. A five-judge bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, was hearing the case. A Supreme Court bench had issued a show-cause notice to Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf for not implementing its orders in the NRO case of writing a letter to the Swiss authorities to reopen graft cases worth $60 million against President Asif Zardari. 09: 56: Justice Khosa directed that the matter of the letter be resolved by Oct 2. 09: 51: Justice Khosa instructed the prime minister to write the letter to Swiss authorities following four steps: The prime minister would authorise someone in writing to write the letter, the content of the letter should satisfy the court, subsequently the letter is sent and lastly the court is informed once the letter is sent. 09: 44: The prime minister concluded his arguments in the court. 09: 40: The prime minister requested the court to exempt him from court appearances. 09: 39: The prime minister said he was experiencing pressure from different quarters and questions were being asked, adding that, the matter should be resolved. 09: 37: The prime minister further said that if the court cooperates, the matter could be resolved amicably. 09: 35: During the hearing, the prime minister told the court that he had asked the federal law minister to withdraw the letter sent to Swiss authorities by former attorney general Malik Qayyum for the closure of graft cases against President Asif Ali Zardari. 09: 15: Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf arrived in the courtroom along with his counsel Wasim Sajjad for the hearing. 09: 12: Prime Minister Ashraf was also seen busy in consultation with Law Minister Farooq H Naek in the courtroom. Naek had accompanied the prime minister on his arrival at the court’s premises. 09:01: Earlier today, the prime minister had arrived at the the Supreme Court’s premises for the case’s hearing. 09:00: The prime minister was expected to apprise the court of the government’s decision over the issue of writing a letter to Swiss authorities for reopening grafts case against President Zardari, sources told DawnNews. 08: 56: Sources moreover said that the government had devised a middleway to write a letter to Swiss authorities. 08: 45: Leaders from the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and its coalition allies had arrived earlier at the court. The leaders present at the court included Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML – Q), Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s (MQM) Farooq Sattar, PPP’s Firdous Ashiq Awan and Awami National Party’s Minister for Railways Haji Ghulam Ahmed Bilour. The leaders stressed upon finding a middle-ground on the issue of the letter. 08:30: A large number of media and security persons were present at the Supreme Court premises. Strict security measure were witnessed at court room number four and entry into the area was prohibited hours before the prime minister’s arrival. 08:25: Islamabad’s red zone area was sealed for the public due to security concerns. Earlier on Monday, the ruling PPP and it coalition allies had decided in a meeting chaired by President Zardari that Prime Minister Ashraf would appear before the court in the show-cause notice for contempt of court over the NRO implementation case to apprise it of his government’s stance on the issue of the letter. Prime Minister Ashraf and former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, who was sent packing by the apex court in the same case, also attended the meeting. The leaders of coalition parties had reiterated their support for the prime minister and decided to accompany him to the court.