Contempt of court: Five-year ban on ex-PM Gilani expires
He was convicted of contempt of court by Supreme Court on April 26, 2012
(Web Desk) – Five-year ban on former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani to contest for a public office has expired today on Wednesday.
Daughter of the ex-PM, Fiza Batool Gilani stated on Twitter: “Today, the five-year ban imposed on my father ends. Unlike Nawaz Sharif, my father did not get any solace from the courts. All this while, our family has endured and suffered even the most unbearable of times: the abduction of my brother.”
Yusuf Raza Gilani returns to mainstream politics after 5 years bar ! #YusufRazaGilani #PPP pic.twitter.com/PzSW5hUv8T
— Fiza Batool Gilani (@Fiza_Gilani) April 26, 2017
Supreme Court of Pakistan had reprimanded then incumbent premier, Gilani and sentenced him to a symbolic punishment over contempt of court.
He was ordered to be detained in the court until the hearing was adjourned on April 26, 2012 for not complying with the order and writing letter to Swiss authorities over alleged black money in foreign accounts belonging to PPP co-chairman, Asif Ali Zardari.
For being convicted by the top court, he no longer was eligible to contest for a public office for five years.
The development had come in after the apex court held an ordinance passed by former dictator Pervez Musharraf unconstitutional in December 2009.
During his tenure, the former president and army chief approved National Reconciliation Ordinance that gave the president and other lawmakers immunity over corruption references running for years.
Supreme Court had ordered the then government of Pakistan People’s Party to write to Swiss authorities to reopen the case against Zardari after it was dropped following Musharraf’s ordinance.
However, premier at the time, Gilani did not write to the foreign authorities and was punished by a seven-member bench headed by Justice Nasirul Mulk.
Abduction of son
Ali Haider Gilani, son of the former PM was abducted by terrorist outfits on May 9, 2013 as he returned after addressing a PPP rally in Multan. He was reunited with the family after three years, in May 2016 following his recovery by joint US-Afghan forces operation in Giyan district of Paktika province in eastern Afghanistan.
His abduction came as a shock just two days before General Elections 2013 which paved the way for Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz to lead the federation.
Yousaf Raza Gilani had thanked the government, Pakistan Military and intelligence agencies for their efforts to bring the 30-year-old back.
