Not Asif Ali Zardari but President enjoys immunity; says Aitzaz Ahsan

Aitzaz Ahsan, the newly elected senator and counsel of Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani in the contempt of court case, on Wednesday said President Asif Ali Zardari as head of the state enjoys blank immunity.

While speaking to the media, the legal expert said President of Pakistan as per the Constitution could not be put under trail in any court.

The counsel said he was not present in previous hearing of the Supreme Court when Prime Minister Gilani had been ordered to write a letter to the Swiss authorities. There was no need of asking the premier to approach an international court when a Pakistani court is hearing the court, he added.

He observed, “When the Raymond Davis incident happened, the US authorities came and took him with them to present him in US courts, but here we send our prime minister to international magistrates, that too, investigative magistrates”.

The newly elected Senator added that countries were taking out their citizens while we are hell bent to hand our president to Switzerland.

Aitzaz Ahsan said the detailed reply would be submitted on March 19, adding that he had not yet argued whether letter can be written to Swiss authorities or not.

The bench has given verdict without hearing his argument, he complained. He said, “We did not completely present our stance before the Supreme Court whether a letter should have been written or not, whether Prime Minister [Gilani] is in contempt of court, the Supreme Court issued another order”.

He expressed hope saying that his arguments will be able to convince the bench in the next hearing.

The legal experts asserted, “I will present my arguments, supporting the international immunity enjoyed by the president or the premier in any civil or military lawsuit,” he said. “International immunity is a party of the Constitution of Pakistan and law”.

Earlier on March 8, the seven-judge bench of the Supreme Court had ordered Gilani to write a letter to the Swiss authorities.

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Posted by Faisal Farooq on Mar 14 2012. Filed under Latest News, National, Pakistan, Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.