Pakistan court, state in showdown
Source: Agencies |
August 9, 2012, Thursday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
PAKISTAN'S Supreme Court yesterday ordered the country's prime minister to appear before the panel to explain why he has not followed instructions from its judges to reopen an old corruption case against the president.
The order is likely to further escalate tensions between the court and the government.
The court wants Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf to write a letter to Swiss authorities asking them to reopen a graft case against President Asif Ali Zardari dating back to the late 1990s. The government maintains that Zardari has immunity from prosecution while in office and so far has resisted writing the letter.
The previous prime minister, Yousuf Raza Gilani, lost his job in June in a similar showdown with the court after refusing to write the letter.
The head of a five-judge panel, Asif Saeed Khosa, said yesterday that Ashraf must appear before the court on Aug. 27, judges have said. If Ashraf fails to appear or continues to refuse to write the letter, he could be charged with contempt.
A prominent Pakistani lawyer, Abdul Hafeez Pirzada, said he didn't expect Ashraf to write the letter to the Swiss - which could lead to the prime minister's dismissal from office.
An adviser to the prime minister, Fawad Chaudhry, said the ruling could further deepen political instability at a time when the country is facing multiple challenges. However, Zardari is not in immediate danger of being put on trial. The Swiss have indicated they have no plans to reopen the case while he is in office because he enjoys immunity as head of state.
The order is likely to further escalate tensions between the court and the government.
The court wants Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf to write a letter to Swiss authorities asking them to reopen a graft case against President Asif Ali Zardari dating back to the late 1990s. The government maintains that Zardari has immunity from prosecution while in office and so far has resisted writing the letter.
The previous prime minister, Yousuf Raza Gilani, lost his job in June in a similar showdown with the court after refusing to write the letter.
The head of a five-judge panel, Asif Saeed Khosa, said yesterday that Ashraf must appear before the court on Aug. 27, judges have said. If Ashraf fails to appear or continues to refuse to write the letter, he could be charged with contempt.
A prominent Pakistani lawyer, Abdul Hafeez Pirzada, said he didn't expect Ashraf to write the letter to the Swiss - which could lead to the prime minister's dismissal from office.
An adviser to the prime minister, Fawad Chaudhry, said the ruling could further deepen political instability at a time when the country is facing multiple challenges. However, Zardari is not in immediate danger of being put on trial. The Swiss have indicated they have no plans to reopen the case while he is in office because he enjoys immunity as head of state.
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