'', Asia Times Online, 25 November 2009

EXCERPT: "The National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO), issued on October 5, 2007, granted amnesty to politicians, political workers and bureaucrats who were accused of corruption, embezzlement, money-laundering, murder and terrorism between January 1, 1986 and October 12, 1999. Two of the main beneficiaries were Bhutto and her husband, the current president, Asif Ali Zardari. Bhutto, who had been living in exile, then returned to the country as presumptive prime minister, but she was assassinated in December 2007. Crucially, the NRO expires on November 28, exposing the hundreds of politicians and bureaucrats who took advantage of it to legal action. The Ministry of Law has issued a list of those affected, and it runs from the president to senior members of the cabinet and diplomats. . . [Now] Pakistan's military establishment (mis)reads the situation in the perspective of a withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan. It is preparing a contingency plan under which all the major players in the Taliban-led insurgency will be invited for talks."

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Related articles:
PML-Q demands general amnesty for Baloch, The News International, 25 November 2009
Political crisis roils Pakistan as Taliban loom, USA Today, 24 November 2009
Q&A: Does Pakistan amnesty list pose threat to Zardari?, Reuters, 24 November 2009
NRO list out, 34 politicians among 8,000 beneficiaries, DAWN, 22 November 2009

Related reports:
Exploring the practise of states in introducing amnesties, Peace Justice Conference // Georg-August-University Goettingen, 27 June 2007

Related posts:
Pakistan slips five places in Transparency International corruption index, 18 November 2009