Pakistani court deals US-backed president big blow

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ISLAMABAD, Dec 17 (AP): Pakistan's top court struck down an amnesty that had protected US-allied President Asif Ali Zardari from corruption charges, setting the stage for political turmoil at a time when America seeks a united front against militants along the Afghan border.
The ruling Wednesday was a major blow to the desperately unpopular Zardari and could mark the beginning of his downfall, analysts said. While he enjoys immunity from prosecution as president, Zardari's opponents now plan to challenge his eligibility to hold the post.
A political crisis could complicate US efforts to encourage Pakistan to step up military operations against al-Qaida-linked extremists. Effective action against those militant groups is seen by the US as a linchpin of its war strategy.
A weakened Zardari would face a huge challenge in responding to US pressure for a broad crackdown. Elements of the armed forces and much of the Pakistani public oppose a major offensive against Afghan militants who use Pakistan as a base. They instead blame Washington for stirring up turmoil in this country.
Minutes after the ruling, the opposition party called on Zardari to resign on moral grounds. His aides scoffed at the suggestion, while senior Cabinet minister Nabeel Gabol said Zardari had convened a meeting of his ruling Pakistan People's Party on Saturday to discuss the situation.
The court's decision also left thousands of others who had been shielded by the amnesty vulnerable to reopened corruption and other criminal cases. Interior Minister Rehman Malik, the country's top civilian security officer, and at least two other ministers loyal to Zardari are among those now at risk of prosecution.
The amnesty "seems to be against the national interest," and "violates various provisions of the Constitution," Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry said in announcing the decision of the 17-member bench.
The amnesty was part of a US-brokered deal with former military ruler Pervez Musharraf that paved the way for former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto to return home from self-exile and participate in politics without facing charges her party says were politically motivated. Zardari, Bhutto's husband, took control of the party after Bhutto was assassinated in 2007.
The court on Wednesday singled out an alleged money laundering case involving Zardari and his late wife that had been heard in a Swiss court until the attorney general under Musharraf withdrew proceedings against them as a result of the amnesty. Chaudhry said this was illegal and ordered the government to ask Swiss authorities to reopen the case.