Pakistani anti-corruption department rejects PM arrest order

PanARMENIAN.Net - The chief of the Pakistani government's anti-corruption department rejected on Thursday, Jan 17, a Supreme Court order to arrest the prime minister, Reuters reported citing television channels.

On Tuesday, the court ordered the arrest of Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf in connection with alleged kickbacks in transactions involving rental power plants when he served as power minister.

Fasih Bokhari, head of the National Accountability Bureau, told the Supreme Court that investigations of the allegations against Ashraf were incomplete, television channels said.

The court asked Bokhari to produce case records so that it could decide whether there is enough evidence to prosecute the prime minister and other officials accused in the case.

The Supreme Court has admitted a petition filed against Sherry Rehman, Islamabad's ambassador to the United States and a well-known member of the ruling Pakistan People's Party, accusing her of committing blasphemy.

Court documents show that the police have been directed to investigate the allegations. Rehman has faced death threats from militants for calling for reforms of Pakistan's anti-blasphemy law, which has been condemned by human rights groups.

The administration is already facing pressure from fiery cleric Muhammad Tahirul Qadri, who has fired up thousands of protesters camped outside parliament with his calls for the resignation of political leaders and electoral reforms.

Qadri, who backed a military coup in 1999, is calling for the immediate resignation of the government and the installation of a caretaker administration in the run-up to elections due in the next few months.