Pakistan to finally query Swiss on charges

Pakistan said Tuesday it will follow a high court's ruling and write a letter to Swiss authorities regarding corruption charges against the current president. The decision ends a two-year standoff between the Supreme Court and Pakistani leaders that caused a former prime minister to step down, The New York Times reported. It may also revive allegations dating back to the 1990s that President Asif Ali Zardari received at least $12 million in kickbacks. Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf announced in court that the law minister was, in principle, ready to draft a letter to Swiss authorities. The five-member court set a Sept. 25 deadline for Ashraf to write the letter. Both the court and the prime minister's office must still agree on the wording. It is uncertain whether Zardari will actually face any charges. Swiss legal experts say the statute of limitations on the charges recently expired and Zardari has immunity from prosecution while he remains in office. The previous prime minister, Yousaf Raza Gilani, was dismissed in June after the Supreme Court held him in contempt because he refused to comply with its demands to write the letter. Tensions over the case had been so high that rumors had spread of a possible military coup.