SC issues contempt of court notice to Gilani
Tribune: SC issues contempt of court notice to Gilani
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan issued a contempt of court notice to Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Monday and directed him to appear personally before the bench on January 19, Express News reported.
Earlier, the apex court resumed the proceedings of the National Reconciliation Ordianance (NRO) implementation case and ordered Attorney General Maulvi Anwarul Haq to seek replies from the government.
Justice Asif Saeed Khosa observed that the court’s orders were not being taken “seriously”.
AG informed the court that he had forwarded the court’s orders but a reply has not yet been received. Justice Nasirul Mulk replied that the court had ordered the AG to bring a reply, not just forward the orders.
Earlier, a seven-member bench hearing the case had deferred the proceedings till 11 am due to the absence of the AG.
Additional Prosecutor General KK Agha had informed the seven-member bench that the AG might have gone to the commission hearing the Memogate case.
Justice Nasirul Mulk observed that the bench knew about AG Haq’s application for adjustment of the case, but he should have been present to inform the court about how long he wanted the hearing to be adjourned.
After consultation, the bench put off the matter for the attorney general.
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Geo: NRO: NAB chief offers unconditional apology
ISLAMABAD: National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Admiral Fasih Bukhari (retd) has offered an unconditional apology to the Supreme Court for failure to implement orders, Geo News reported.
NAB counsel, Shaiq Usmani appeared on behalf of NAB chief and submitted the apology.
We have decided to implement the NRO order, it said. ‘Was unaware of court’s procedures.’
Former attorney general Malik Qayyum is out of country and red warrants will be issued against him, NAB told the apex court.
Aagaaya line pay LOL
So Pervaiz Ilahi as PM post Gilani LOL I m praying that PPP does that :p
Geo: PM Gilani to appear before SC on Jan 19
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani will appear before the Supreme Court on January 19.
This was decided during the meeting of coalition partners at the PM house.
Earlier, President Asif Ali Zardari arrived at the Prime Minister House where a meeting of the Parliamentary Committee of coalition partners held.
According to sources President Zardari took part in the meeting to show his support for the prime minister.
The meeting was being presided over jointly by Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and the heads of respective parliamentary parties and groups.
The meeting followed the Supreme Court issuing a contempt notice to the prime minister and summoning him in person on January 19.
Pohonchi waheen pay khak jahan ka khameer tha.
PML – N showed their true colors.
Geo: National Assembly passes pro-democracy resolution
ISLAMABAD: National Assembly on Monday passed with majority the pro-democracy resolution originally moved by Awami National Party (ANP) leader Asfandyar Wali, Geo News reported.
Earlier, amendments proposed by Pakistan Muslim League-N were approved and incorporated into the resolution which was later read out by the Federal Minister Naveed Qamar.
One of the amendments said the final authority to rule lies with Allah Almighty.
Speaking on the occasion, Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani congratulated the Parliamentarians on passage of the resolution while Pakistan Muslim League-N and PPP (Sherpao) MNA’s staged a walkout.
He said he would appear before the Supreme Court and the Chief Justice of Pakistan.
The Prime Minister said: “After becoming the Prime Minister my first words were: Release the judges”.
He said the government wanted no confrontation with any institution including the judiciary and that no one should degrade the mandate of the elected government.
“We need no certificate to prove our patriotism,” he said, citing sacrifices rendered by the leaders of Pakistan People’s Party for the cause of democracy in the country.
He said he did not need to take vote of confidence and ‘if someone doesn’t like our face, they should move a no-confidence motion’.
Earlier, Opposition leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said although his party had decided not to support any resolution, it changed its stance for the sake of national interest and put forth the amendments after engaging in talks with the government.
He said the country’s democracy was not facing any internal or external threat. However, he added that no hope could be pinned to People’s Party for betterment in (country’s) situation.
@afzaal khan
The article about Jang sold out proving very real.
In today’s Jang, Ansar Abbasi article on back page.
Besides Abdul Malik tone is getting milder and Kamran Khan show is also losing its zeal against Govt.
Dawn: SC to indict PM for contempt on Feb 13
The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that contempt of court proceedings would be initiated against Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, DawnNews reported.
The apex court has summoned the premier on Feb 13 when he is expected to be formally indicted.
The ruling came after a seven-judge bench of the apex court heard the contempt case against Prime Minister Gilani.
“After the preliminary hearing, we are satisfied that prima facie (at first sight) there is enough case for further proceeding,” the bench ordered after the hearing.
“The case is adjourned until Feb 13 for the framing of charges. The prime minister will be present in person.”
The prime minister’s lawyer Aitzaz Ahsan said it was possible to appeal.
“He (Gilani) has been asked to be present in person on February 13 when he will be indicted,” he said.
“There is a possibility for an appeal in this matter. It is up to the court whether to suspend this order or not. This will be decided after getting a copy of the order,” Ahsan added.
“He has the constitutional, legal right to appeal…it would be my recommendation to my client to appeal. He will then decide.”
The prime minister could face six months in prison and be disqualified from holding office if convicted.
Only way for govt to save itself is to write the letter and apologize 4 delay saying sorry we misunderstood b4 Feb 13. Otherwise dun see way out.
I am sure nothing will happen, remember it is f***ing Paki Land
Yeah i forgot, they could appeal and then drag it on all to cover senate election han budget.
Remember what I said! F*cked up Paki Land. Believe me they don’t deserve any better now that I have lived among them for a year.
U can always leave LOL
no point swearing at pakistan, a country is what ppl make it, same country did restore judiciary fought off dicators and i can go on but u know. Need leadership, and sadly miyaan sahib is not the one LOL
its not the country its the people. they are the most corrupt thing that ever walked the planet!
Mohammad Malick: Dirty Sherwanis and Uniforms
The meandering prime minister had long stood convicted in the court of public opinion, guilty of crimes like incompetence and corruption. Now he has also earned the sobriquet of being indicted in a court of law. But we know what will happen. Unlike any ordinary law abiding citizen who would hang his head in shame for falling foul of the law, the prime minister will instead wear this stigma as a badge of honour. He has been heard talking about how he has chaired more cabinet meetings than late Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto; has served longer than both Mr Bhutto and Shaheed Benazir; and will bring honour by being the Seraiki to sacrifice himself for the party instead of being one to sacrifice the party for his own personal motive (ala Farooq Leghari). Noble words indeed but the reality remains that he has been indicted for refusing to honour the verdict of the highest court of the land, and there is no honour in this. But a word here for the honourable court as well. Hopefully, it will also not shirk from passing similar indictments and convictions against erring generals – an opportunity that may soon be coming its way in the form of the Asghar Khan case.
And talking of generals, till a few days back, the chief of the army staff had felt it beneath his dignity to attend even ‘official’ functions of the prime minister who had spoken unkindly of him and his institution. There was talk of the army doing ‘everything’ to help the judiciary take the memo affair to its logical conclusion. Assurances were meted out to Mansoor Ijaz, the other joker in the jester deck, to come to Pakistan and nail the matter for good. Then something happened. What? We’ll never know. But what we do know is that the security forces quietly conveyed their inability to provide him impregnable security as the government had not appointed the “army as the lead agency”. Next, both the COAS and the DG ISI called on the prime minister a day before his departure for Davos. Barely had this sudden development been digested that the prime minister returned the favour by giving the duo a clean conduct slip and then slipping away to Davos.
On the sidelines, Mansoor Ijaz huffed and puffed and decided to be a no-show in court. Whether there is credence in the latest talk about the US establishment pressurising him through his business partners – again we’ll never know. The supreme court for its part threw in its two pounds of goodness by refusing to allow the judicial commission to travel abroad. And of course, Haqqani too was allowed to leave Pakistan, which he promptly did.
Everyone, it seems suddenly wanted to just hush up the matter and move on with life. Everyone, it appears knows something about a dirty deal here, but we’ll of course never know.
One day the country was faced with a near existential threat. The civil and military establishments openly squared off against one another. It had come down to being a do-or-die situation. Ambassador Haqqani lost his job, and his freedom. The president reportedly lost his mind. The COAS came close to losing his pips. The judges faced the dilemma of losing their credibility. Meanwhile the country lost whatever little remained of any semblance of working order.
Then, in a few days, magically, it was all over.
The judicial commission stands almost decommissioned; Mansoor Ijaz is Mansoor who; Haqqani is free without anyone being told why he was ‘incarcerated’ in the first place; the judges enjoyed their share of popularity without having to make hard choices; the Americans are happy for securing the future of both favourites. Net losers: the people. Ah, the shameless dirty deals of our dirty power elite. Neither the sherwanis nor the uniforms have managed to remain spotlessly clean in the memo affair.
Will this shameless circus of dirty power arrangements ever end in Pakistan? Will there ever be closure on issues? Because unless matters are taken to their logical conclusions, things will keep recurring and with greater ferocity. Absence of desired accountability only guarantees the presence of undesirable happenings.
The prime minister’s indictment, being seen by many as a prelude to serious accountability, has started the next round of political uncertainty in the country. The loyalists will deem it the latest threat to democracy at the hands of an activist judiciary. The complexion of matters to come will however be decided not by the judges but by the response of the ruling coalition. The prime minister’s future may stand threatened by the judges but not of the democratic system and this fine difference must not be deliberately smudged.
Ironically, the charging of the prime minister may prove the finest hour for democracy in our political history. Could there be a greater example of the maturing of the political system than an elected prime minister submitting himself to the supreme court and for the democratic process to cough up his replacement were he to lose his job in the process? The judges may have contributed to adding to the uncertainty of affairs but the real challenge to democracy comes not from a bunch of judges but from the future actions of those lording over the parliament. How the democrats behave today will determine democracy’s future in Pakistan.
The prime minister still has nine days to comply with court orders and avoid any extreme action but judging from the mood of the PM house and the presidency, defiance will persist. And this may make political sense for the PPP in particular because the beleaguered party could easily use another political martyr in the coming elections. Gilani has almost run his entire term in office and even if the PPP were to come to power again there would be a new prime minister in office. Surely, Gilani would have little desire to sit in the same house as an ordinary parliamentarian. Were he to remain steadfast in his stance and be convicted by the court he would then go out in a blaze of glory. He would secure a special place in his party’s history and also ensure loftier perches for his children, all of whom are already active in politics. On the other hand, were he to beat a conviction somehow, he would emerge as a much stronger prime minister.
The issue of writing the letter will not go away with Gilani and any future prime minister too would have to face the dilemma, in theory at least. In practical terms, the issue would be as good as dead if Gilani was mowed down in this standoff. It’s not easy for even the mightiest of supreme courts to strike down two prime ministers in one case. Gilani’s replacement would definitely get time from an ‘understanding’ court for formulating his/her actions. The PPP leadership would be able to get through with the Senate elections and the new prime minister could then announce early elections and thus set the transition process in motion. In such a scenario, where general elections are scheduled, say, a few months down the road and matters like the formation of a truly independent election commission cobbling together an acceptable interim-care taker setup etc are being tackled, the supreme court will surely be weary of upsetting the delicately balanced apple cart by insisting on another conviction.
Three cheers for democracy, PPP-style; three cheers for justice Pakistan-style.
Contempt of court: SC rejects intra-court appeal, Gilani to appear on Feb 13
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan has rejected Aitzaz Ahsan’s appeal to protect Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani from contempt of court.
Gilani will appear before the court on February 13 to face indictment charges against him for the government’s two-year refusal to write to Swiss authorities to revive cases against President Asif Ali Zardari.
Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry said that the final verdict could only be determined after the trial.
Prime Minister’s intra-court appeal hearing was held in the Supreme Court today. Aitzaz Ahsan said in his concluding remarks that he ‘respects the court’ and wants it to take back its show-cause notice.
Earlier, Aitzaz Ahsan said that the court depicted “strict behavior” by giving Gilani a show-cause notice.
Ahsan said that the proceedings of contempt of court are “half of civil nature and half of criminal nature.” He said benefit of the doubt should be given to the prime minister in this case, which is currently not being given to him.
Aitzaz also prayed to the court that the decision should not be limited to the seven judges on the bench, just because they were the Chief Justice’s ‘colleagues’.
The chief justice, during yesterday’s hearing, had remarked that the appeal itself was in contempt of the court. He had questioned Ahsan on how he could include paragraphs in his appeal which say that the contempt case cannot be initiated against a prime minister who helped in restoring the judges.
Dawn: PM Gilani indicted for contempt
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s prime minister was indicted for contempt by the country’s highest court on Monday, pleading not guilty to charges that could see him jailed for six months and disqualified from office.
Summoned over the government’s two-year refusal to write to authorities in Switzerland asking them to re-open corruption cases against the president, Yousuf Raza Gilani is Pakistan’s first premier ever to be charged in office.
A long-running standoff between the government and the judiciary has fanned political instability in the turbulent country, deeply troubled by al Qaeda and Taliban violence that many now expect to face early elections within months.
President Asif Ali Zardari and his late wife, former premier Benazir Bhutto, were suspected of using Swiss bank accounts to launder about $12 million in alleged bribes paid by companies seeking customs inspection contracts in Pakistan in the 1990s.
Gilani, who swept into the court dressed in a dark suit, grey tie, white shirt and cufflinks, was charged within minutes of appearing.
The court ordered the attorney general to prosecute the case, giving him until Thursday and the defence until February 27 to file documents, which will then be recorded on February 28. After that, a date will be set for trial.
The hearing has now been adjourned till 22 February.
The prime minister has always insisted that Zardari is immune from prosecution as president and says the cases are politically motivated.