Plea bargain
Plea bargain as a formal legal provision was introduced in Pakistan by the National Accountability Ordinance 1999, an anti-corruption law. A special feature of this plea bargain is that the accused applies for it, accepting guilt, and offers to return the proceeds of corruption as determined by investigators/prosecutors. After an endorsement by the Chairman National Accountability Bureau, the request is presented before the court, which decides whether it should be accepted or not. If the request for plea bargain is accepted by the court, the accused stands convicted but neither is sentenced if in trial nor undergoes any sentence previously pronounced by a lower court if in appeal. The accused is disqualified to take part in elections, hold any public office, or obtain a loan from any bank; the accused is also dismissed from service if a government official.
Shearson/American Express Inc. v. McMahon
Turning to the plaintiffs' arguments, he wrote, "these contentions are frivolous, and flaunt the agreement, the Arbitration Act, and the mandate of the Supreme Court." The 1985 notice was proper because according to the agreement the requirement to arbitrate was triggered by the mere occurrence of a controversy, not any formal proceedings. "The pendency of an action does not stay arbitration, but instead forces a demand and application by defendants to compel arbitration and "to stay the trial" pending arbitration ... Plaintiffs' imposition of such a condition without an order staying the arbitration and preserving the exercise of the right to select an arbitrator, was simply a unilateral, futile, and legally unjustifiable attempt to change the terms of the agreement."