Shahid Naseem Gondal has filed the petition through senior counsel AK Dogar, pleading that the SC in its NRO judgment in 2010 had clearly directed the federal government to take immediate steps to seek the revival of cases in Switzerland.

It says now that the former prime minister has suffered conviction and disqualification for flouting the apex court judgment, the present incumbent should learn a lesson from his predecessor and take immediate steps as directed by the highest court of the country. The petitioner said the former prime minister had stated on record the no PPP prime minister shall ever write a letter to the Swiss authorities, therefore, the petitioner apprehends the present incumbent being a PPP prime minister may not comply with the clear direction of the Supreme Court.

He requests the court to issue directives to the new prime minister to write the letter in compliance with para 178 of the judgment in the Dr Mubashar Hassan case (NRO annulment case).

Online adds: Meanwhile, in the Sindh High Court an application has been filed to direct the new PM to write the letter to Swiss officials. Making Raja Pervaiz Ashraf a party to the case, the applicant Maulvi Iqbal Haider said it is clear from the Supreme Court’s judgment that every prime minister is bound to write to the Swiss authorities for reopening the graft cases. The constitutional application will be heard tomorrow (Monday).