Pakistan graft amnesty expires

ISLAMABAD (AFP) -- An amnesty on corruption cases protecting President Asif Ali Zardari, key allies and thousands of others, which was to formally expire on Saturday, threatening to fling Pakistan into fresh political crisis.

The National Reconciliation Ordinance, commonly known as NRO, was promulgated in October 2007 by military ruler Pervez Musharraf.

Musharraf's decree quashed corruption charges against former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, who was assassinated two months later, her husband Zardari and other politicians in an apparent gesture of reconciliation to prolong his rule.

Zardari's Pakistan People's Party won subsequent elections in February 2008, restoring civilian rule in a country that has been governed for most of its existence by the military.

Zardari has rock-bottom approval ratings as Pakistan struggles with Taliban violence, a recession and stalled efforts on reform.

He spent several years in jail for corruption and is still referred to as “Mr. Ten Percent” because of his reputation for taking kickbacks on deals.

Weathering the worst political crisis of his rule so far, Zardari's government last March was forced to restore independent judges, who had been dismissed by Musharraf, after a nationwide protest.

On July 31, the new supreme court set a November 28 deadline for the NRO to be approved by the parliament or else it would lapse.

But the government is seen as too weak to win an extension. Last month the administration tabled the ordinance in parliament but quickly withdrew it after sensing political opposition was too strong.

“The NRO will lapse after November 28 and cases against beneficiaries will be deemed to be pending,” senior lawyer Abid Hassan Minto told AFP.

“Cases can be reopened and convictions may be restored unless the government comes up with a separate order,” he added.

Some analysts believe Zardari can stay in office only by agreeing to revoke Musharraf's 17th amendment to the constitution that gives the president the power to dissolve Parliament and sack the prime minister.

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