Musharraf signs ordinance for Bhutto amnesty

(October 5, Islamabad, Sri Lanka Guardian) Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf Friday signed the National Reconciliation Ordinance, which will grant amnesty to former prime minister Benazir Bhutto in pending corruption cases but not to Nawaz Sharif, local TV channel Dawn News reported.

With the approval of the federal cabinet and signature of Musharraf, the ordinance is now ready for promulgation, the report said.

The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q) and its coalition partners Tuesday endorsed the ordinance, according to which the government would grant amnesty to all those who had held public offices between 1988 and 1999 and against whom corruption cases were pending.

However, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) said that some of its demands were not met in the ordinance and the talks between PPP and the government on a power-sharing deal stalled in London Wednesday.

The draft of the ordinance was exchanged several times between the government and the PPP, which made some changes to the draft and sent it back to the government Thursday.
(Agencies)