Aitzaz hits back at Ramday's remarks

RECORDER REPORT

LAHORE: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's counsel and a PPP leader Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan has insisted that Asif Zardari enjoys immunity in Pakistan and Switzerland as President of Pakistan and that he does not require to approach the court to claim his immunity so long he is in his office.

He was talking to media persons in Lahore High Court (LHC) premises. Aitzaz said the question whether or not the government should write a letter to the Swiss authorities was irrelevant, so long Zardari enjoyed immunity, adding that a letter could only be written after the expiry of President Zardari's tenure in office. He also reiterated that Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani had not committed any contempt of court. According to him, the PM has not written a letter due to Article 248, which grants immunity to the President.

Aitzaz said he had put up two conditions before accepting the case of the PM, saying: "I have asked PM Gilani that government officials will stop spewing venom against the Supreme Court and the PM will not go to SC by leading a political procession. The Prime Minister honoured both the commitments.

Aitzaz said if a petition against the Chief Justice of Supreme Court or the Chief Justice of High Court was filed, the court offices would not entertain it because "applications can't be filed against them while the CJs would also not come to claim their immunity under the Constitution."

Reacting strongly to the interview of former Justice Khalil-ur-Rehman Ramday to a private TV channel, Aitzaz said Justice Ramday was getting himself involved in politics before the mandatory embargo of two years after retirement.

"I respect Ramday but I feel sorry for him. He has put his hard-earned honour at stake. He should have not spoken on a sub judice matter," Aitzaz said.

He said Ramday should not give such interviews and added: "the buildings of Lahore city are evidence of Ramday's one-sided actions. Aitzaz said Ramday's brother (the then attorney general) had written a letter to Switzerland government for the cases (against Benazir Bhutto Shaheed and Asif Zardari).

While commenting on Pervez Musharraf's attempt to seek immunity before SC, Aitzaz said he was facing civil proceedings wherein the President enjoyed a conditional immunity under Constitution.