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Gilani in court over contempt charges
Source: Agencies |
February 14, 2012, Tuesday
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THE Supreme Court charged Pakistan's prime minister with contempt yesterday for defying its order to reopen an old corruption case against President Asif Ali Zardari, sharpening a political crisis that has shaken the country.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani pleaded not guilty. If convicted, he could be imprisoned and will likely lose his job.
Gilani drove himself and his lawyer to court, an apparent attempt to show humility to the judges. Security was tight, with hundreds of police blocking roads leading to the court building in the capital, Islamabad.
One of the judges, Nasirul Mulk, read out the contempt charge, saying Gilani had "willfully flouted, disregarded and disobeyed the directions of this court."
The prime minister, who was surrounded by his Cabinet members and coalition partners, said he understood the charge and would contest it. The move was the formal start to a process that will take months or weeks to conclude. The next session will be on February 22.
Court supporters have applauded the judges for upholding the rule of law. But government loyalists accuse the chief justice of pursuing a personal vendetta against the president, or of acting on behalf of the army to topple the government.
The case against Zardari relates to kickbacks he and his late wife, former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, allegedly received from Swiss companies when Bhutto was in power in the 1990s. They were found guilty in absentia in a Swiss court in 2003.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani pleaded not guilty. If convicted, he could be imprisoned and will likely lose his job.
Gilani drove himself and his lawyer to court, an apparent attempt to show humility to the judges. Security was tight, with hundreds of police blocking roads leading to the court building in the capital, Islamabad.
One of the judges, Nasirul Mulk, read out the contempt charge, saying Gilani had "willfully flouted, disregarded and disobeyed the directions of this court."
The prime minister, who was surrounded by his Cabinet members and coalition partners, said he understood the charge and would contest it. The move was the formal start to a process that will take months or weeks to conclude. The next session will be on February 22.
Court supporters have applauded the judges for upholding the rule of law. But government loyalists accuse the chief justice of pursuing a personal vendetta against the president, or of acting on behalf of the army to topple the government.
The case against Zardari relates to kickbacks he and his late wife, former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, allegedly received from Swiss companies when Bhutto was in power in the 1990s. They were found guilty in absentia in a Swiss court in 2003.
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