Pakistan court finds Gilani in contempt

Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/221341.html

Pakistan's Supreme Court has issued a contempt order against the Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani for not complying with orders related to the re-opening of corruption cases.

"The Supreme Court has issued a contempt of court notice to the prime minister for not complying with its orders," Judge Nasir-ul-Mulk said on Monday.

He added that Gilani should appear in person at the court on January 19 due to his refusal to reopen corruption cases against the president and over eight-thousand other people.

The judge said the court met to debate how to proceed on graft charges against President Asif Ali Zardari.

"We are left with no option but to issue a show cause notice to the prime minister of Pakistan (for him to explain) as to why he shall not be proceeded against for contempt of this court," Attorney General Maulvi Anwarul Haq said.

The Supreme Court has demanded that the government ask Swiss officials to reopen old corruption cases against President Asif Ali Zardari.

This is while, the government and the ruling party say Zardari has immunity from prosecution as long as he remains in office.

Zardari is also under pressure due to an investigation into who was behind efforts to ask for US help to avert an army coup in Pakistan, in the wake of the killing of Osama Bin Laden in May 2011.

The request for US help is said to have been made by former Pakistani Ambassador to the US Husain Haqqani, with support from Zardari. However, both Haqqani and Zardari have denied the accusations.