Govt decides not to challenge SC’s contempt verdict

The legal advisers of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani have decided not to file an appeal against the contempt of court case verdict against him.
According to a private TV channel, the government has taken the decision after NA Speaker Dr Fehmida Mirza’s ruling in Gilani’s favour.
The government had already refused to accept the penalty meted out to the prime minister in the contempt case. Sources said lodging an appeal was tantamount to accepting the court’s verdict.
On the other hand, the ruling of NA Speaker Dr Fehmida on the PM’s contempt case was sent to the Supreme Court Office on Friday.
On Thursday, Mirza had issued her five page ruling in reaction to the Supreme Court’s verdict in Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani’s contempt of court case. The speaker had ruled that in light of the Supreme Court judgment, the question of PM’s disqualification did not arise. Mirza had held extensive consultations with leading constitutional and legal experts on the judgment of the Supreme Court.
The speaker also rejected the reference filed by Maulvi Iqbal Haider seeking the disqualification of PM Gilani.
Meanwhile, Federal Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira said the appeal against Prime Minister Gilani’s contempt of court verdict was ready.
Kaira added that 147 objections had been raised in the appeal. Later in the evening, INP reported that President Asif Zardari and Prime Minister Gilani discussed the legal implications and the situation emerging after Mirza’s ruling against PM’s disqualification.
According to sources, Gilani called Zardari to seek his advice over the issue.
According to media reports, Zardari was of the view that after the speaker’s ruling in favour of the prime minister, there was no need to file an appeal against SC’s verdict.