Musharraf 'equal beneficiary' of NRO, must be held accountable: Pak SC

Islamabad, Jan.21 (ANI): Holding former President General Pervez Musharraf an 'equal beneficiary' of the now defunct amnesty law, the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO), the Supreme Court has called Musharraf to be held accountable for giving shape to the controversial law.

Adding a special note to the NRO judgment, Justice Sardar Muhammad Raza Khan viewed the NRO as a grave violation of the Constitution.

"Musharraf was an equal beneficiary of the ordinance. As observed by us, it was a deal between two individuals and not (national) reconciliation ... such a deal ... is tantamount to a grave violation of the constitution."

The note said that Musharraf should also be held accountable for "perpetuating corruption and violating the Constitution."

"No doubt, such a beneficiary is not a party to the ... (existing) petitions, but so are the other beneficiaries taken care of in our judgment," The Daily Times quoted the memo, as saying.

The note said that all beneficiaries of the NRO must be dealt equally, equitably and without discrimination.

It may be noted that in December last year, a 17-member judge bench, headed by Chief Justice, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, had declared the NRO as "unconstitutional" and "invalid from the outset". (ANI)