PM contempt: ‘Govt will comply if SC orders Gilani’s disqualification’

Law minister says trial will continue till appeal is heard, SC did not disqualify Gilani.

ISLAMABAD: If the Supreme Court decides to disqualify Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, then the government is ready to comply with all court orders, Law Minister Farooq H Naek said on Saturday.

Speaking to the media accompanied by Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira, the law minister said that the appeal against the Supreme Court’s decision in the contempt of court case against Gilani can only be filed after the detailed order comes.

“In all similar cases, the court always gives a detailed order, so the accused can read it and file an appeal against it. But the Supreme Court did not give the detailed order in this case, nor did it give the order’s copy to the prime minister.”

He added that the Supreme Court did not disqualify the prime minister and people should not rush in passing judgments. “The trial ends after the appeal is heard… What is the rush all about?”

The speaker of the National Assembly still has 30 days to decide about the prime minister’s fate and till the decision comes, Gilani will continue to be the prime minister of the country and a member of the National Assembly, Naek further said.

Commenting on Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif’s call for Gilani to step down, Naek said he respects Sharif a lot but “he is not getting the right advice”.

Information Minister Kaira said that Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani has always respected the courts and will continue to do so as per the party’s tradition in the future as well.

Kaira said that the Pakistan Peoples Party has always faced its cases in the courts and never tried to break the chain of Justice.

“It was Pakistan Peoples Party which, despite enormous hurdles, strengthened the fractured democracy and Gilani was the man who empowered the parliament like Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir,” Kaira added.

He also regretted that the PML-N is twisting facts about the court orders.

Privilege motion against SC assistant registrar

The government has decided to move a privilege motion against the assistant registrar of the Supreme Court for writing a letter to speaker of National Assembly to initiate an action against the prime minister under recently passed judgment by the apex court.

Terming the letter ‘illegal’, Law Minister Naek said that the letter in which Speaker of National Assembly Fehmida Mirza was directed to implement the SC’s judgment was an open violation of law. Naek added that the assistant registrar of the Supreme Court is not authorised to issue directions to the speaker of National Assembly.

“We will move a privilege motion against assistant registrar as the letter is illegal which was written as a clear violation of rules and procedures. He has directed the speaker of National Assembly to implement the court’s verdict at the earliest which is we believe is an offence to the parliament.”

Naek went on to say that, “The parliament’s privilege was disparaged by the assistant registrar’s letter to the speaker of National Assembly directing her in the prime minister contempt case.”