Prime Minister Gilani to appeal against his conviction: Aitzaz Ahsan

Counsel for Prime Minister Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan said Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani will file an intra-court appeal against a contempt conviction, saying his client was not disqualified for defying an apex court ruling to write letter to Swiss authorities to reopen cases against President Asif Ali Zardari.

He accepted the role of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry in restoration of democracy, saying that the government and its allies have authorized him to submit a review petition against the Prime Minister’s conviction.

While addressing a press conference he observed, “This will be subject to the appeal, which we will file. The charge was of disregarding the court, but the prime minister was sentenced for scandalizing the court”.

The lawyer said that the court mentioned prime minister’s Bahawalpur address where he allegedly defamed the court. He, however, said it was happened after the apex court indicted him on February 13, 2012.

He asserted, “The clock stopped there and anything stated by the prime minister thereafter was not relevant to the trial. If the prime minister had impeached any law then a fresh new trial was called for.”

In his view, the implications are that if he is alleged to have scandalized the judiciary, for which he was never charged, the premier can be disqualified. The court has no right to read out the decision to the accused as the decision is always handed over in a written form, he added.

The lawyer further elaborated that his client was not disqualified till the speaker of the National Assembly decides it according to the given procedure within 30 days. There is not automatic and immediate disqualification according to the Constitution, he asserted.

Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira, who recently regained his slot after gap of a year, said that the prime minister was one who strengthened the parliament, saying the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has always paid respect to the judiciary and would continue to do the same.

The premier was convicted of contempt charges by the apex court but given a token symbolic sentence.

A seven-member bench of the Supreme Court found the prime minister guilty of contempt over his refusal to obey an order to write to the authorities in Switzerland to ask them to re-open corruption cases against President Asif Ali Zardari.

Short URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=20352

Posted by Faisal Farooq on Apr 26 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.