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| Pakistan agrees to court demands on Zardari corruption case | Pakistan agrees to court demands on Zardari corruption case |
| (7 months later) | |
| Pakistan's government appears to have abandoned a three-year-long standoff with the country's top judges over the writing of a controversial letter to officials in Switzerland responsible for investigating money-laundering charges against the president. | Pakistan's government appears to have abandoned a three-year-long standoff with the country's top judges over the writing of a controversial letter to officials in Switzerland responsible for investigating money-laundering charges against the president. |
| What is known as "the Swiss letter" has become central to a case that, although based on arcane legal and constitutional arguments, has already ended the career of one prime minister and has threatened to bring down the government led by the Pakistan People's party (PPP). | What is known as "the Swiss letter" has become central to a case that, although based on arcane legal and constitutional arguments, has already ended the career of one prime minister and has threatened to bring down the government led by the Pakistan People's party (PPP). |
| The supreme court, led by an increasingly assertive and popular chief justice, has long demanded the government write to Switzerland to rescind a 2008 notification that it was no longer a party to corruption charges against President Asif Ali Zardari that Swiss officials had investigated. | The supreme court, led by an increasingly assertive and popular chief justice, has long demanded the government write to Switzerland to rescind a 2008 notification that it was no longer a party to corruption charges against President Asif Ali Zardari that Swiss officials had investigated. |
| The government has been equally insistent it would never write such a letter, claiming Zardari enjoys immunity as head of state. PPP loyalists have argued the supreme court refused to drop the issue because of the personal enmity between Zadari and the chief justice, Iftikhar Chaudhry. | The government has been equally insistent it would never write such a letter, claiming Zardari enjoys immunity as head of state. PPP loyalists have argued the supreme court refused to drop the issue because of the personal enmity between Zadari and the chief justice, Iftikhar Chaudhry. |
| In June former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani was forced to step down after he was found guilty of being in contempt of court for refusing to write the letter. | In June former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani was forced to step down after he was found guilty of being in contempt of court for refusing to write the letter. |
| Many observers had assumed Zardari would continue to defy the court in order to limp to the end of the government's term by sacrificing one prime minister after the next – the current incumbent, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, is widely regarded as a political lightweight and has been implicated in his own separate corruption scandal. | Many observers had assumed Zardari would continue to defy the court in order to limp to the end of the government's term by sacrificing one prime minister after the next – the current incumbent, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, is widely regarded as a political lightweight and has been implicated in his own separate corruption scandal. |
| But on Tuesday morning Ashraf, accompanied by senior cabinet ministers, arrived at the grand marble chamber of the supreme court to announce that the law minister had been "empowered" to write to the Swiss authorities. | But on Tuesday morning Ashraf, accompanied by senior cabinet ministers, arrived at the grand marble chamber of the supreme court to announce that the law minister had been "empowered" to write to the Swiss authorities. |
| He said he was acting "in the larger interest of the country" and added: "I don't want to be seen standing on the wrong side of the history." | He said he was acting "in the larger interest of the country" and added: "I don't want to be seen standing on the wrong side of the history." |
| The climbdown prompted the judges to exempt Ashraf from threatened charges of contempt of court, ensuring his political future for the time being. | The climbdown prompted the judges to exempt Ashraf from threatened charges of contempt of court, ensuring his political future for the time being. |
| Several legal experts predicted that any letter written to the Swiss would be contrived to ensure it would not trigger any further investigation of Zardari for the alleged laundering of tens of millions of dollars through Swiss bank accounts in the 1990s when Benazir Bhutto, Zardari's widow, was in power. | Several legal experts predicted that any letter written to the Swiss would be contrived to ensure it would not trigger any further investigation of Zardari for the alleged laundering of tens of millions of dollars through Swiss bank accounts in the 1990s when Benazir Bhutto, Zardari's widow, was in power. |
| "Given the track record of the PPP it is certain they will not write the letter that the supreme court wants," said Wajih Uddin, a former chief justice of the Sindh provincial supreme court. "It will be sugar-coated in such a way that it will benefit Mr Zardari." | "Given the track record of the PPP it is certain they will not write the letter that the supreme court wants," said Wajih Uddin, a former chief justice of the Sindh provincial supreme court. "It will be sugar-coated in such a way that it will benefit Mr Zardari." |
| However, the law minister indicated he would allow the supreme court to approve a draft of the letter. | However, the law minister indicated he would allow the supreme court to approve a draft of the letter. |
| Other legal experts assume the government must have been assured that Switzerland would not reopen the case, even if formally asked to do so. | Other legal experts assume the government must have been assured that Switzerland would not reopen the case, even if formally asked to do so. |
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