ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani appears before Supreme Court on Thursday to face contempt of court proceedings that could see him convicted and disqualified from office.
It is only the second time that the court has initiated contempt proceedings against a sitting prime minister, plunging weak government deeper into a crisis that could force early elections within months.
The court summoned Gilani to explain his refusal to ask Switzerland to re-open graft cases against President Asif Ali Zardari in what some have interpreted as a step towards a constitutional coup.
The government is also under immense pressure from the army and judiciary over a memo asking the Americans to prevent a feared coup last May.
Gilani is expected at court under tight security in the heavily protected constitutional sector of Islamabad from 0400 GMT.
Officials have been tight-lipped on what the prime minister and his lawyer will say, but commentators doubt that Gilani will decide to risk six months in jail and being stripped of office.
His lawyer, Aitzaz Ahsan, has said Gilani may as well do what the court wants and write to Switzerland because Zardari has immunity from prosecution as long as he remains in office.
Analysts say Gilani has to either resign or find a way of satisfying the court order if he wants to keep his job.
Some have suggested that the PPP could sacrifice Gilani to protect the president, who has been accused over the controversial May 10 memo that sought US assistance to curb the powerful military.
Comments
Comments are closed for this article.