Hours after the departure of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani to the UK on an official visit on Tuesday, the Supreme Court released its detailed judgment in the contempt of court case against him, hinting that his possible conviction might lead to his disqualification for at least five years from being elected or chosen as a member of parliament or provincial assembly.
The 77-page detailed judgment has been authored by Justice Nasirul Mulk, who had headed the seven-member special bench, which convicted the PM on April 26 on charges of committing contempt of court by not writing a letter to Swiss authorities for reopening graft cases against President Asif Ali Zardari.
The verdict noted that if the prime minister’s stand that the letter could not be written against the president under the constriction was accepted, it would set a dangerous precedent and anyone would then successfully flout the orders of the courts by pleading that according to his interpretation they were not in accordance with the law. The judgment noted that the executive authority might question a court’s decision through the judicial process provided for in the constitution and the law, but was not entitled to flout it because it believed it to be inconsistent with the law or the constitution. It said that interpretation of the law was the exclusive domain of the judiciary.
It said when Aitzaz Ahsan, counsel for Gilani, during his submissions stated that his client was not aware of the orders of the court, then attorney general Moulvi Anwarul Haq had intervened that he had conveyed all the relevant orders to the prime minister. “Perhaps, that may have been the reason that before arguments could be addressed by Attorney General Moulvi Anwarul Haq, he was replaced,” the judgment added.
The verdict stated that it was admitted and proved on record that it was the PM who took the ultimate decision of not writing the letter against the president, adding that the PM failed to obey a lawful order, which he was constitutionally bound to obey.
The verdict noted that the accused was the highest executive functionary of the state and he had willfully, deliberately and persistently defied a clear direction of the highest court of the country.“We are, therefore, fully satisfied that such clear and persistent defiance at such a high level constitutes contempt which is substantially detrimental to the administration of justice and tends not only to bring the apex court but also brings the judiciary of this country into ridicule.”
“After all, if orders or directions of the highest court of the country are defied by the highest executive of the country, then others in the country may also feel tempted to follow the example leading to a collapse or paralysis of administration of justice besides creating an atmosphere wherein judicial authority and verdicts are laughed at and ridiculed,” the verdict said. It said that counsel for the accused (premier) throughout his oral arguments and submissions had failed to build a case.
Of course, Rats & Hamsters try their level best to save their sking before being killed; its one of the most basic animal instincts!
I bet he's puckering up 🙂
Gilani should be locked up and jailed. The supreme court needs to see this through for the future of the country.
The timing of the release of this judgement is incredible. This is political at it's core…
Does not help Pakistan's image abroad. Things are only going to get nastier…
A complete disgrace, even SC is incompetent, who could have known…
Gilani deserves nothing less than hanging.
aitzaz is playing his cards wisely. He will have gillani out of office and in jail pretty soon. Once gillani is out of the way, zardari will have no one but aitzaz to depend upon. That will pave the way for aitzaz to reach his higher aspirations. He has realized that he is getting too old and its do or die now. He has burnt all his bridges and this is his last chance to make it big. aitzaz is a snake and a back stabber. He has put everything on line and either he will make it big or fall in disgrace like babar awan. It gets interesting by the day. Love it 🙂
Good Analysis
Aitzaz is acting in a manner for Gilani/Zardari as was acted by Yaha Bakhtiar for late Bhutto. He is pushing Gilani towards gallows. he will never leave office in a polite manner.
These convicts ruling Pakistan are like leeches draining out the left over blood of this nation
THIS IS YET ANOTHER SADDEST DAY FOR ALLTHE PEOPLE OF THIS COUNTRY WHO "VOTED" TO ELECT THIS GOVERNMENT – (A BUNCH OF MIDGIT JUDGES) HAVE BREACHED ONCE-AGAIN THEIR LIMITS AND HAVE "TRIED" TO PUSH THE SYSTEM (THOUGH AM SURE POOR PEOPLE OF THIS COUNTRY WILL DEFEAT THESE CREATURES ONCE-AGAIN).
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