ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Dec. 18 (UPI) -- A Pakistani corruption agency issued arrest warrants for Interior Minister Rehman Malik following a government decision to revoke an amnesty law.
A high court in Pakistan this week struck down the National Reconciliation Ordinance that placed a hold on corruption investigations into several high-ranking officials and politicians.
The U.S-backed amnesty measure was part of a 2007 deal with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf that allowed former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto to play a role in Pakistani politics following a return from self-exile.
A court associated with the National Accountability Bureau, a Pakistani corruption agency, issued arrest warrants for the Pakistani interior minister in connection to graft following the amnesty decision, Pakistan's Dawn newspaper reports.
NAB prosecutors told Dawn the charges relate to abuse of power and alleged vehicles given to the interior minister by Toyota Motors in order to advance a government contract.
The corruption issue comes as Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari faces mounting calls for his resignation. Zardari faces a litany of corruption charges if he were to leave office.
Malik told Dawn there were no arrest warrants issued for him and all of the graft matters were dealt with in the past.
Zardari's diminishing power and the emerging corruption charges follow a move by Washington to court the Pakistani government as a partner for its campaign in neighboring Afghanistan.
