<p>Pakistan's Supreme Court today withdrew a contempt notice issued to Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf earlier this year after he failed to approach Swiss authorities to revive graft cases against President Asif Ali Zardari.</p>.<p>A five-judge bench headed by Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali retracted the contempt notice after Law Minister Farooq Naek presented a receipt that showed the Swiss authorities had received the government's recent letter for the revival of the graft cases on November 9.<br /><br />During the hearing, Naek requested the court to dismiss the case as the government's letter, written by the Attorney General, had been sent to the Swiss Attorney General in Geneva.<br /><br />Justice Jamali acknowledged that the government had complied with the court's directives of writing to Swiss authorities for reopening the graft cases.<br /><br />Talking to journalists after the hearing, Naek said the court's decision was a victory for justice and democracy.<br /><br />The government, he said, had implemented every directive of the apex court.</p>.<p>The government's letter to the Swiss authorities makes it clear that the graft cases can be revived with the condition that the President enjoys immunity under the Constitution <br />and Pakistani and international laws.</p>.<p>The Supreme Court and the government recently came to an agreement on the contents of the letter to be sent to the Swiss authorities after months of sparring.</p>.<p>The government had initially refused to make any move to revive the cases.<br /><br />Zardari and his slain wife, former premier Benazir Bhutto, were accused of laundering millions of dollars through Swiss banks.<br /><br />The ruling Pakistan People's Party has said that the charges against them were never proved.<br /><br />The Supreme Court has been pressuring the government to revive the cases against the President since December 2009, when it struck down a graft amnesty issued by former military ruler Pervez Musharraf that benefited Zardari and over 8,000 others.<br /><br />The government refused to act for months before Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf agreed to implement the apex court's orders after he was charged with contempt.<br />Ashraf's predecessor, Yousuf Raza Gilani, was convicted of contempt and disqualified in June for refusing to reopen the cases against Zardari</p>
<p>Pakistan's Supreme Court today withdrew a contempt notice issued to Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf earlier this year after he failed to approach Swiss authorities to revive graft cases against President Asif Ali Zardari.</p>.<p>A five-judge bench headed by Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali retracted the contempt notice after Law Minister Farooq Naek presented a receipt that showed the Swiss authorities had received the government's recent letter for the revival of the graft cases on November 9.<br /><br />During the hearing, Naek requested the court to dismiss the case as the government's letter, written by the Attorney General, had been sent to the Swiss Attorney General in Geneva.<br /><br />Justice Jamali acknowledged that the government had complied with the court's directives of writing to Swiss authorities for reopening the graft cases.<br /><br />Talking to journalists after the hearing, Naek said the court's decision was a victory for justice and democracy.<br /><br />The government, he said, had implemented every directive of the apex court.</p>.<p>The government's letter to the Swiss authorities makes it clear that the graft cases can be revived with the condition that the President enjoys immunity under the Constitution <br />and Pakistani and international laws.</p>.<p>The Supreme Court and the government recently came to an agreement on the contents of the letter to be sent to the Swiss authorities after months of sparring.</p>.<p>The government had initially refused to make any move to revive the cases.<br /><br />Zardari and his slain wife, former premier Benazir Bhutto, were accused of laundering millions of dollars through Swiss banks.<br /><br />The ruling Pakistan People's Party has said that the charges against them were never proved.<br /><br />The Supreme Court has been pressuring the government to revive the cases against the President since December 2009, when it struck down a graft amnesty issued by former military ruler Pervez Musharraf that benefited Zardari and over 8,000 others.<br /><br />The government refused to act for months before Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf agreed to implement the apex court's orders after he was charged with contempt.<br />Ashraf's predecessor, Yousuf Raza Gilani, was convicted of contempt and disqualified in June for refusing to reopen the cases against Zardari</p>