Contempt case: PM to be indicted on Feb 13

Pakistan

Contempt case: PM to be indicted on Feb 13

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The Supreme Court has decided to indict Prime Minister of Pakistan Yousaf Raza Gilani on Feb 13.

02 February,2012 12:01 pm

The Supreme Court on Thursday summoned Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani to appear February 13 to be indicted with contempt over his refusal to pursue corruption cases against the president.It was a shock announcement in a long-running case that significantly escalated pressure on the embattled prime minister, threatening to plunge his weak government deeper into crisis and force early elections within months.Judge Nasir-ul-Mulk told the court there were grounds to proceed against Gilani over the governments refusal to follow a court order and ask Swiss authorities to re-open corruption cases against President Asif Ali Zardari.The government argued that Zardari has immunity from prosecution while head of state and accused judges of plotting with the military to wage a witch-hunt against him. Switzerland shelved the cases in 2008, when Zardari took office.We are satisfied that prima facie there is a case for further proceeding into the matter. Adjourned for February 13, for framing charges. Prime minister is required to remain present in the court, Justice Mulk said.PM Gilani was previously summoned to appear in court on January 19, when he refused to back down on Zardaris immunity.Gilanis lawyer Aitzaz Ahsan said it was possible to appeal.He (Gilani) has been asked to be present in person on February 13 when he will be indicted, he said.There is a possibility for an appeal in this matter. It is up to the court whether to suspend this order or not. This will be decided after getting a copy of the order, Ahsan added.Mulks announcement came as a something of shock in a country where threats to Zardari appeared to be receding as a parallel investigation into a secret memo allegedly written by a key aide to the Americans has unravelled.There was no immediate reaction Thursday from the prime minister or senior colleagues in the main ruling Pakistan Peoples Party.Ahsan, hugely respected by judges for his role in forcing the government to reinstate independent judges in March 2009, has been presented as the best defence lawyer capable of finding a way of getting Gilani off the hook.But in some staggering exchanges in court, the judges seemed determined to force the prime minister to write to the Swiss, although the Swiss themselves have said there is no case as long as Zardari is head of state.Suppose we discharge the (contempt) notice and withdraw the proceeding, what will you do? Will you write a letter or not ? Judge Sarmad Jalali asked Ahsan at one point.Ahsan said that first the contempt notice had to be discharged.If you order writing the letter, it will be carried. But you have to decide on the contempt issue. I seek discharge of the notice on merit and I will not give any commitment on conditional discharge of the notice.Judge Asif Saeed Khosa also enquired why the letter had not been written. This is the courts order and there is clear direction from the court.Ahsan argued that the cases in Switzerland have been disposed off.The allegations against Zardari were frozen by a Pakistani political amnesty imposed in 2007, which the courts overturned in late 2009.