Legal Case Summary

Case Details
Case ID 2b408f35-12b7-49f0-820b-9cb4689a03a4
Body View case body.
Case Number Constitutional Petitions Nos. 76 to 80 of 2007 and
Decision Date Dec 16, 2009
Hearing Date Dec 07, 2009
Decision The Supreme Court of Pakistan declared the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) of 2007 as void ab initio and ultra vires the Constitution. This decision emphasized that the NRO had been promulgated to benefit a specific class of individuals involved in serious criminal offenses, thus undermining the principles of justice and equality enshrined in the Constitution. The court ordered that all cases previously dismissed or acquitted under the NRO be revived, and all relevant authorities were directed to assist in prosecuting those individuals. The ruling highlighted the need for accountability and adherence to the law, ensuring that no one is above the law.
Summary This case centers around the Supreme Court's ruling on the constitutionality of the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) of 2007. The NRO aimed to provide amnesty to certain individuals involved in corruption and criminal activities. However, the Supreme Court found that the NRO violated fundamental rights and principles of justice, leading to a divide between ordinary citizens and those benefiting from the ordinance. The court's decision emphasized the importance of upholding the Constitution and ensuring accountability for corruption, thereby restoring public trust in the legal system. Keywords such as 'Supreme Court', 'National Reconciliation Ordinance', 'corruption', 'constitutional law', and 'accountability' are essential for understanding the implications of this landmark ruling.
Court Supreme Court of Pakistan
Entities Involved National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Federal Government, Supreme Court of Pakistan, Provincial Governments
Judges KHALIL-UR-REHMAN RAMDAY, MUHAMMAD SAIR ALI, SARDAR MUHAMMAD RAZA KHAN, JAWWAD S. KHAWAJA, CH. IJAZ AHMED, GHULAM RABBANI, JAVED IQBAL, IFTIKHAR MUHAMMAD CHAUDHRY, C.J., TARIQ PARVEZ, NASIR-UL-MULK, MIAN SHAKIRULLAH JAN, TASSADUQ HUSSAIN JILLANI, RAJA FAYYAZ AHMED, MAHMOOD AKHTAR SHAHID SIDDIQUI, RAHMAT HUSSAIN, ANWAR ZAHEER JAMALI, KHILJI ARIF HUSAIN, JAFFERI
Lawyers Hashmat Ali Habib, Advocate Supreme Court, M. Sardar Khan, Senior Advocate Supreme Court, Abdul Hafeez Pirzada, Senior Advocate Supreme Court, Salman Akram Raja, Advocate Supreme Court, Dr. Farooq Hassan, Senior Advocate Supreme Court, Sikandar Bashir Mohmand, Advocate Supreme Court, Ejaz Muhammad Khan, Advocate on Record, Abdul Mujeeb Pirzada, Senior Advocate Supreme Court, Afzal Siddiqui, Advocate Supreme Court, Mian Gul Hassan Aurangzeb, Advocate Supreme Court, Barrister Feroze Jamal Shah, Hameed Ahmeed, Mustafa Aftab Sherpao, Sameer Khosa, Umar Akram Chaudhry, Malik Ghulam Sabir, Advocates for Petitioners (in Const. P.76/2007), Muhammad Ikram Ch. Advocate Supreme Court, G. N. Gohar, Advocate-on-Record for Petitioner (in Const. P.77/2007), Ch. Muhammad Akram, Advocate on Record for Petitioner (in Const.P.78/07), Ashtar Ausaf Ali, Advocate Supreme Court for Petitioner (In Const. P.79/07), Tariq Asad, Advocate Supreme Court (in person) for Petitioner (in Const.P.80/07), A.K. Dogar, Senior Advocate Supreme Court for Petitioner (in Const. P.59/09), Shahid Orakzai (in person) (In CMA 4842/09), Raja Muhammad Ibrahim Satti, Senior Advocate Supreme Court (in CA.1094/2009), Kamal Azfar, Senior Advocate Supreme Court, K.K. Agha, Advocate Supreme Court, Raja Abdul Ghafoor, Advocate-on-Record for Respondents (in, Const. P.78-80/07 & 59/09), Danishwar Malik, PG., Abdul Baseer Qureshi, Addl: PG., Ch. Akhtar Ali, Advocate on Record, Naveed Ahsan, Chairman NAB for NAB., Shah Khawar, Acting Attorney General for Pakistan, Agha Tariq Mehmood Khan, DAG., Mr. Dil Muhammad Alizai, DAG., Dr. Salahuddin Mengal, AG for Government of Balochistan., Zia-ur-Rehman, A.G., Mr. Zahid Yousaf, Addl. A.G., Naveed Akhtar, A.A.G. for Government of N.-W.F.P., M. Hanif Khattana, Addl: AG., Ch. Khadim Hussain Qaiser, Addl: AG for Government Of Punjab., Yousaf Leghari, AG. for Government of Sindh., Malik Muhammad Qayyum, Senior Advocate Supreme Court former Attorney General for Pakistan (On Court Call)., Justice (R) M. Riaz Kiani, Secretary Law & Justice, Dr. Riaz Mehmood, Sr. Joint Secretary, Syed Nasir Ali Shah, Solicitor General (On Court Call)., M. Salman Faruqui, Principal Secretary to the President (On Court's Call)., Mian Allah Nawaz, Senior Advocate Supreme Court, Shaiq Usmani, Senior Advocate Supreme Court, Raja Abdul Ghafoor, Advocate-on-Record for Respondents (in Const.P.76-77/07), Dr. Asghar Rana, ADPG., Raja Aleem Abbassi, DAG (On Court Notice).
Petitioners Dr. MOBASHIR HASSAN and others
Respondents FEDERATION OF PAKISTAN and others
Citations 2010 SLD 2060, 2010 PLD 1
Other Citations Sindh High Court Bar Association v. Federation of Pakistan PLD 2009 SC 879, Tikka Iqbal Muhammad Khan v. General Pervez Musharraf PLD 2008 SC 178, Smt. Indira Nehru Gandhi v. Rai Narain AIR 1975 SC 2299, Facto Belarus Tractor Ltd. v. Government of Pakistan PLD 2005 SC 605, Federation of Pakistan v. Aitzaz Ahasan PLD 1989 SC 61
Laws Involved Constitution of Pakistan (1973)
Sections Art. 270AAA, Art. 4, Art. 8, Art. 25, Art. 62(f), Art. 63(i)(p), Art. 89, Art. 100(3), Art. 175, Art. 227, Art. 184(3)