Aitzaz Ahsan refuses to complete his argument by Thursday

Counsel for the Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani in the contempt of court case, Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan, refused to complete his arguments by Thursday, saying it is not possible to do so.

A seven-member bench of the Supreme Court headed by Justice Nasirul Mulk resumed the hearing against the prime minister, directing the lawyer to complete his arguments on the given date. However, Aitzaz Ahsan did not agree in doing so.

He prayed that he was appearing in the court despite ill health but he could not specify as to when he would complete the arguments. He also contended that the decision should be announced after he had completed his arguments.

While resuming his arguments on the constitution’s Article 10-A relating to fair trial, the lawyer said that if there was a flaw/ shortcoming in any law, the court should refer the matter to the parliament. The 19^th Amendment was done as a result of the 18^th Amendment in the Constitution.

Hammering on his earlier argument, Aitzaz kept insisting that the judges who gave the notice to the premier were not eligible to sit on the trial bench of the contempt case against him.

On this, Justice Sarmad Jalal Usmani said that the courts could themselves initiate proceeding for getting their verdicts implemented.

In counter-remarks, Ahsan said the judge in his own interest could not be the adjudicator even according to the Islamic laws. Quoting an example from Islamic history, he said once Hazrat Omar (RA) had appeared before the Qazi, who in respect had stood up, but Hazrat Omar didn’t like it and reprimanded him.

Earlier on Monday, Ahsan had said that the bench’s existing members should not hear the case as that could come into conflict with the Constitution’s Article 10A which promises a fair trial.

He had also requested the court to delay its decision on the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) implementation case.

The prime minister was charged with contempt of court on February 13 over the government’s two-year refusal to write to authorities in Switzerland asking them to re-open corruption cases against President Asif Ali Zardari.

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Posted by Faisal Farooq on Apr 17 2012. Filed under Latest News, National, Pakistan. 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.