Gilani willfully defied SC order

The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Tuesday issued a detailed order in the contempt case against Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani holding him responsible for willfully defying court directives and bringing it to ridicule. The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Tuesday issued a detailed order in the contempt case against Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani holding him responsible for willfully defying court directives and bringing it to ridicule. The 77-page order has been written by Justice Nasirul Mulk who headed the 7-member bench that convicted Gilani. It includes six separate pages added by Justice Saeed Khosa who had presided over an earlier five-member bench that had indicted the prime minister. The court ruled that the likely consequence of its guilty verdict is Prime Minister Gilani’s disqualification for five years to hold any public office or contest election. It, however, stopped short of categorically disqualifying the prime minister sparking conflicting interpretations by legal experts. The detailed verdict came out on the day when Gilani left for the United Kingdom on an official trip to participate in the Enhanced Strategic Dialogue with the British leadership. Responding to fierce campaign against his trip and criticism over his original plans to take a huge 70-member delegation, Gilani curtailed his entourage to only 12 members that include foreign and finance ministers. It was not immediately known whether he would stick to five-day schedule or restrict his stay due to impending domestic crisis resulting from the detailed judgment. The premier has right to appeal to a larger bench of the Supreme Court within 30 days. Legal experts, however, differed whether the period begins from April 26 when the court issued brief order and Gilani actually served the sentence till rise of the court that took less than 30 seconds or the day the detailed judgment has been issued. The bench dismissed the contention that Gilani acted on the advice given by his legal aides not to send a letter to the Swiss authorities to reopen money-laundering case against President Asif Ali Zardari. Gilani has publicly maintained that he upheld the constitution because the President enjoys immunity at home and abroad. The court ruled that interpretation of the law is exclusive preserve of the judiciary. In case the appeal is rejected, the matter will go to the National Assembly Speaker to refer the case to the Chief Election Commissioner for unseating the premier. His counsel Aitzaz Ahsan does not agree with majority opinion of prominent jurists that the speaker is playing just a post master’s role and maintains that the speaker can apply his/her own mind. If she rejects the reference the matter shall end there.