After much deliberation and debate inside the courts, in the media and among the general public, the Supreme Court of Pakistan has given its decision on the controversial National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) that paved the way for the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) to come into power.
The Supreme Court declared the NRO null and void in a short order which was passed unanimously by a 17-member bench.
The landmark decision is set to create ripples and shake up the government as all old cases and convictions that had been dismissed under the ordinance can now be revived as per the court orders.
Dawn.com invites its readers to comment on the court’s historic decision. Do you think the decision will create instability as claimed by the government? Do you think this move will serve to discourage corruption? How will this decision impact the political and security situation in Pakistan? Do you think that politicians and bureaucrats accused of corruption will now be held accountable? Do you think that the debate regarding NRO focuses too much on politicians and less on accountability measures?
The following reader comments do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Dawn Media Group.
Every country goes through a series of land mark rulings in court before they become judicially sound.
This is the beginning of that process in Pakistan, I truly believe.
It’s a landmark decision which can eradicate the menace of corruption from country which desperately needs a non corrupted government.
It is a good decision in general, but in my opinion, it will create a lot more problems than it solves. The decision was against NRO, but I don’t know why it was made specific to some persons. Corruption is a curse, but now it looks that we have go a new definition for corruption. Every thing that is being done by PPP in general and in particular by Zardari is corruption. Are all others are white angels?
Bravo SC! We as a nation have started identifying between right and wrong and can bravely pronounce it. This verdict of Supreme Court should not be used as a weapon to dislodge present Government, rather we as a nation should try to instill the sense of honesty and decency in ourselves and our coming generation.
Remember our fight is not against a single person, our fight is against the system! So better clean the corrupt system so that no corrupt men or women are produced anymore. Talk against the system not against a person, because system is immortal and person is mortal.
It’s another step forward but there is a long way to go. It is a sign of hope for the long suffering people of Pakistan. Another glimmer of light at the end of this long dark tunnel that Pakistan is going through. Let’s hope that this decision will deter thieves and crooks from plundering the meager resources of the nation without thinking twice.
The Supreme Court has set an ideal Standard based on the principles of justice for all! Right is Right & Wrong Is Wrong!
What NRO was doing was selective justice! Different laws For us & different laws for corrupt elite!
NRO was bad from the day it was penned and judiciary did an excellent job by declaring it null and void. However there is one aspect of this whole episode that very surprising.
Media both print and electronic are going all out against politicians and other beneficiaries of NRO but I couldn’t help noticing that there is not a single voice against the creator of this NRO.
This day should be celebrated as a National day in Pakistan, CJ set an example for all over the world courts. Its a proof to the world that Pakistan is a great nation and they believe in Justice. I salute and pray for CJ to keep serving Pakistan.
Pakistan will flourish and we will see the results. We are not afraid of any further derailed we are already in derailed situations this is the turning point for Pakistan. I love Pakistan more than any thing in world.
A Salute to our judges and the SC for doing the right thing, in a country where politicians at times say “Corruption is our right too!”
The decision of Honorable Supreme Court is historical and infact it has won hearts and minds of the people. The decision is based on top down approach to end the corruption in Pakistan. It’s time to give justice to poor people of Pakistan, by devolution of judiciary to town levels. This will pave the way to end lingering on thousands and thousands of pending cases. The decision has opened the doors, and whole nation shall, go through this door towards prosperity and corruption free Pakistan.
SC declares NRO null and void, that is something to be really applauded. What remains or what needs to be implemented is, if the cases were never closed as per the decision on NRO then Mr. Zardari was never eligible to contest in the elections or holding up of any public office.
If Mr. Zardari was so clan he would not have made the deal of NRO just one day before his elections. It should not be a person specific decision, any one who has benefited from NRO to become eligible should be asked to step-down and if they are not willing to then they should be removed forcefully.
May Allah grace this decision by making it the beginning of a corruption free Pakistan. Allah Pakistan ka hami-o-Nasir ho, Ameen.
At least in future who so ever intend to indulge himself in any unfair deal will think twice about starting his action towards any type of malpractice. I am confident that this decision will be the first step in endeavors towards eradication of corruption and malpractices of all those who are having helm of affairs of country in their hands unfortunately.
Well done Supreme Court.
We the people of Balochistan hail the verdict of Supreme Court and we wish the independence of Judiciary should hold high in Pakistan.
It is a landmark judgment in the judicial history of Pakistan and the first step toward a corruption-free country. We Salute our Chief Justice….
Well done SC. I salute you all. Now, the question is when we get rid of these corrupt politicians and Bureaucrats, who have plundered the money of under-nourished Pakistani’s.
SC great but our NRO beneficiaries have no morality. Still they are saying that they will only resign if case proved. With this sort of people do you think our country will improve.
This is the right decision. The CJ deserves a pat.
This is an important decision made by the supreme court to bring the corrupt down..
Great Decision.
No. Not the beginning of the end. It is the end of the beginning. We can now begin an era of accountability, justice (for all), oversight, and true governance. With hope and prayers.
Well done SC. Any question of derailment doesn’t arise! We had already been derailed by this corrupt lot being in power. With their removal, we should see better people occupying responsible positions. This should enable us to be back on track.
All these powerful corrupt people think that they are above the law. I really hope that these people will be brought to justice and punished for the crimes they committed. I still doubt that these people will be punished as they will have some other loopholes as they are the same people who are sitting in the parliaments.
It’s a very good news for all the people who love Pakistan and who want to see this country flourish. Justice should be served at all cost and this is the basic principle of Islamic Society. Anyone who has done wrong should be punished to set an example for others.
As a next step, SC should ask all the defendant to step down from their positions and defend their cases as a common man and not as a state’s representative. If they don’t step down, they will be using state’s resources to defend personal cases. If they are clean, they should appear before court as a common man. Now our judiciary is independent, we the people have trust on it. They should also have trust on it.
The journey to Justice has finally begun
Indeed, the Supreme Court of Pakistan has made a commendable decision yesterday after the completion of the hearings. This verdict by the Supreme Court of Pakistan would be a landmark in the judicial history of Pakistan. This decision will help us to root out corruption from our society. The NRO beneficiaries have lost their value on moral grounds and they should resign.
Good step ahead, might as well clean up everything once and for all. Great opportunity to clear all the mess forever.