Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf on Monday got a three-week breather from the Supreme Court in a contempt case for failing to reopen graft cases against President Asif Ali Zardari, a long-running legal wrangle that had cost his predecessor his job.
The five-judge bench headed by Justice Asif Saeed Khosa initially adjourned the case till September 12 but subsequently put it off till September 18 after Ashraf said that he would be away on an official visit to China till September 14. The bench further directed the premier to personally appear at the next hearing.
Ashraf, 61, became the second premier to appear before the court to face a contempt charge for refusing to revive the corruption cases against Zardari in Switzerland. His predecessor, Yousuf Raza Gilani, was convicted of contempt and disqualified in June.
During the 45-minutes of hearing in courtroom number 2, the judges repeatedly asked Ashraf to give a commitment about approaching the Swiss authorities to reopen the graft cases against Zardari.The bench said Ashraf must ensure a letter is written to Swiss authorities asking them to reopen corruption cases against Zardari.
Justice Khosa said Ashraf did not have to write the letter himself. He could nominate someone else to write it. In reply, Ashraf said, “I will make a sincere effort to solve this issue in a way that the dignity and honour of the Supreme Court will be maintained.” “It is my firm belief that it is not in Pakistan’s interest to linger on this issue. I am ready to give a positive commitment to this court that I will resolve this issue,” he said.
The bench suggested that the premier could task the Law Minister to write a letter to the Swiss authorities to revive the cases against the President but Ashraf did not make any commitment in this regard. At this point, Justice Khosa remarked that if no commitment is given, the law would find its own solution.
Several federal ministers, including Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira and Interior Minister Rehman Malik, and leaders of the ruling coalition arrived in the court earlier to appear alongside the premier as a show of solidarity.
A meeting of leaders of the ruling coalition chaired by Zardari late last night decided that the premier would appear in court despite reservations expressed by several top PPP leaders.
A section of the party, including Gilani, was opposed to Ashraf’s appearance in the court as it believes that it would make no difference.
The Supreme Court has been pressuring the government to revive the cases against the President since December 2009, when it struck down a graft amnesty that benefited Zardari and over 8,000 others.
The government has refused to act, saying the President enjoys immunity in Pakistan and abroad. (PTI)