Pak law secretary resigns over Zardari Swiss cases controversy

Islamabad, May 8 (ANI): In an apparent bid to avoid confrontation with the Supreme Court, Pakistan Law Secretary Justice (retired) Muhammad Aqil Mirza has resigned from his post.

Mirza cited health reasons for his resignation, however sources said the main reason behind him stepping down was that he didnot want to appear before the apex court in the sou motu hearing of a case concerning the Swiss graft cases against President Asif Ali Zardari.

The hearing is scheduled to take place on May 13, The Daily Times reports.

Earlier this week, Attorney General Maulvi Anwar-ul-Haq had told the Supreme Court that Mirza had made it clear that the Swiss cases had been closed and that there was no need for any communication with the Swiss government to reopen the multi-million dollar money laundering cases.

Cases against Zardari and 157 others were reopened after the Supreme Court declared the controversial amnesty law, the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) as 'unconstitutional' last December.

Zardari and and her assassinated wife Benazir Benazir , were convicted by a Geneva court in 2003 of laundering 13 million dollars linked to kickbacks, but that verdict was overturned on ppeal. In 2008, Swiss judicial authorities said they had closed the file related to the case. (ANI)