In Pakistan, the seventeen-judge bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry will start hearing of National Reconciliation Ordinance cases in Islamabad today. The National Reconciliation Ordinance, issued by former military ruler Pervez Musharraf two years ago, granted immunity in graft cases to over 8,000 people, including President Asif Ali Zardari and his close aides Interior Minister Rehman Malik, Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar and Salman Faruqui, secretary general to the President. Meanwhile, Mr. Zardari has said he enjoys immunity from prosecution as long as he continues to hold the post of President. The law expired on November 28 after the government failed to get it endorsed by parliament within a deadline set by the apex court.