Govt confronted with triple challenges

Call it a coincidence, but the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) government is facing a flurry of tough challenges as investigation into the memo scam is to be initiated upon arrival of Ambassador Hussain Haqqani, while the Supreme Court is scheduled to take up the government’s appeal against the NRO verdict, and the rental power projects (RPPs) case is also to be taken up by the court next week.
Reportedly, Haqqani has left Washington for Islamabad to join the investigation into the memo episode while official sources claim that the Presidency has conveyed to Haqqani that the government would stand by him.
With his return, the PPP-led coalition government is set to go through a critical test with the investigation into the memorandum sent by a US citizen, Mansoor Ijaz to Admiral Mike Mullen allegedly on behalf of Ambassador Haqqani.
Moreover, soon after the president appointed new judges to the SC, Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on Thursday formed a 17-member bench to hear the NRO review petition on November 21.
The review petition had come up for hearing before the court on April 19, and was adjourned. Thereafter, the case could not be fixed as the requisite strength of 17 member bench was not available.
Babar Awan advocate has been officially nominated to represent the federation on November 21, in its pending plea seeking review of SC’s main decision of December 16, 2009.
Advocate Ramzan Chaudhry informed the court on Friday that Awan had been officially nominated and would file a plea in the SC on Saturday in this regard. On April 14, the federation had moved an application seeking the court’s approval to change its counsel Latif Khosa, who was at that time nominated Punjab governor.
Earlier, the SC was asked to allow Khalid Ranjha to represent the respondent but the court asked Advocate on Record Raja Abdul Ghafoor to argue the case if the respondents were not willing to allow Barrister Kamal Azfar, who had moved the review plea to continue with the case.
The bench also rejected a request of Additional Attorney General KK Agha to argue the case. The NRO review petition was subsequently adjourned on April 19 and could not be fixed as the requisite strength of 17-member bench was not completed.
The hearing of RPP scam would also start in the Supreme Court on Monday.