Some 3,576 corruption and criminal cases were disposed of under the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) in Sindh province alone after the present government came to power after perliamentary elections in 2008.

This was stated by Sindh Law Minister Ayaz Soomro here on Wednesday. He said amongst those who benefited from the ordinance are well-known political figures, government officials, industrialists and capitalists.

He, however, declined to release the list of names of those who benefited under the NRO stating that the Law Ministry officials were still compiling data of the cases decided and it would take some time before the exercise was complete.

NRO, described by all and sundry as a ‘black law’ was promulgated by the former military dictator and president Pervez Musharraf allegedly to prolong his power.

“After we are fully satisfied that the list of the beneficiaries is complete then it will be forwarded to the Federal Law Ministry. The release of the list will be decided by the federal government,” said Soomro.

Federal Law Ministry on directive from Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani ordered all the four provincial governments to compile lists of the NRO beneficiaries after he came under tremendous pressure from civil society and the opposition parties to make public the names of those who benefited from the controversial ordinance.

The government was to table the NRO in Parliament, but decided against after its coalition partners, Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Awami National Party, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl), Pakistan Muslimm League-Functional and majority of Fata members of National Assembly decided to vote against the bill.
{Source: Khaleej Times}