Aitzaz Ahsan terms prime minister’s sentencing against the law
Tuesday, May 15th, 2012 3:13:23 by Faisal Farooq
Aitzaz Ahsan, the counsel for Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani in the contempt case, termed the prime minister’s sentencing against the law, saying the premier could not have been sentenced in the absence of a detailed verdict.
Ahsan, the former president of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) and key figure of the lawyers’ movement, claimed short verdicts were not announced in criminal cases.
Reiterating his stance, the lawyer said an appeal would be filed to challenge the Supreme Court’s order against his client, Prime Minister Gilani. In his view, the objections to the judgment were based on constitutional and legal grounds not political.
Ahsan rejected the short-order of April 26, saying that President Asif Ali Zardari enjoyed blanket immunity from prosecution in Pakistan and abroad.
He further said that his client was sentenced in violation of Article 10-A of the Constitution, urging that it was duty of all Pakistanis to abide by the laws. “The prime minister has a number of options to choose from, including one of filing an appeal challenging the verdict” he added.
Replying to a query, Ahsan said that the judges who convicted the prime minister should not hear the appeal.
About role of Speaker National Assembly (NA) in the process of possible disqualification of Prime Minister Gilani, the counsel said the speaker was given the power by the Constitution but not the apex court.
In his view, it was up to the speaker’s discretion whether or not to send a reference to Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in this case.
Earlier, the counsel for premier also criticized the poetry used by Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa in the detailed verdict.
He commented, “It is being misinterpreted in several ways that pity the nation which has judges like this, pity the nation where judges do this, do that. But Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry is the only outcome of the lawyer’s movement. Other judges have vulnerabilities”.
Justice Khosa, who was part of the seven-member bench that had convicted the prime minister of contempt, had made a six-page addition to the 77-page detailed verdict of the Supreme Court.
He quoted an extract from For Whom the Bell Tolls by John Donne and Pity the Nation by Khalil Gibran in his 321-word addition to the detailed order.
Tags: Aitzaz Ahsan, Election Commission of Pakistan, John Donne, Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, Khalil Jibran, National Assembly, Pity the Nation, Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, SupremeShort URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=22349
Posted by Faisal Farooq
on May 15 2012. Filed under Latest News, Pakistan, Politics.
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The defense and prosecuting attorneys were both defending the PM, so somebody had to take up the role of prosecution. Mr. Ahsan, the devil’s advocate, should stop beating around the bush, his senate seat, LPG contracts were enough for this ‘champion’ of free judiciary to leave his principles and join the corruptest of the corrupt.
He cant change the fact that PM willfully disobeyed and ridiculed the judiciary and got sentenced for it.
Aitzaz Seb@ You sold your soul just for one Senator ship and employment of your daughter? How poor ypu are at the end? With which face you are going to face CJ, You already mentioned during Wakala tehreek that you never filed any case infront of CJ? Where is now your real face.
Serves you right Aitzaz Ahsan, isn’t this the same CJ who you sat in the front seat of your car during the long march, while trying to get him put back, and then you people tout this judiciary is fair, objective and independent. They are equally politically motivated
I say accept this looser apply and convict gilani in crime court and put him away for 5 years
In corrupt society he is protecting mafia gang, infact he is one of them. Pakistani peolpes need to take the justice in their hands when it come to corrupt leaders . These leaders for last the 64 years have used public wealth to build their bank balance
I say forget about the law when it comes to dealing with these mafia and awam should give them their peace of mind
end of Case