Pakistani officials may face graft prosecution - govt

By Zeeshan Haider

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Two Pakistan cabinet ministers could face prosecution on corruption charges after a graft amnesty introduced in 2007 expires next week, a government list of possible defendants showed on Saturday.

The amnesty was brought in by former President Pervez Musharraf under a plan to share power with former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.

The amnesty cleared the way for Bhutto to return from years in self-imposed exile but she was assassinated late that year.

Her husband, Asif Ali Zardari, who is now president, and many of their political allies were also covered by the amnesty.

The Supreme Court said in July the amnesty order needed parliamentary approval to stand. A divisive bid by the government to secure that approval was dropped this month in the face of opposition, and the amnesty lapses on Nov. 28.

Minister of State for Law Afzal Sandhu, released the list of names of people who were covered by the amnesty, including Zardari, Interior Minister Rehman Malik and Defence Minister Ahmed Mukhtar.

Zardari is protected from prosecution by his presidential immunity but the courts could decide to reopen cases against other people on the list, Sandhu said.

The government would abide by any ruling of the Supreme Court regarding cases pending, Sandhu said.