[Al Arabiya Latest] An amnesty on corruption cases protecting President Asif Ali Zardari, key allies and approximately 8,000 others formally expires on Saturday, threatening to fling Pakistan into fresh political crisis.The National Reconciliation Ordinance, commonly known as NRO, was promulgated in Oct. 2007 by military ruler Pervez Musharraf.
Zardari cannot be prosecuted because of presidential immunity, although the re-opening of politically charged corruption cases and the Supreme Court could choose to challenge his eligibility for the post since the amnesty decree was never formally approved by parliament.
Musharraf's decree quashed corruption charges against former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, who was assassinated two months later, her husband Zardari and other politicians in an apparent gesture of reconciliation to prolong his rule.