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Pak SC rejects Gilani’s contempt appeal The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Friday blew hot and cold while rejecting the appeal of Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani even as the Judicial Commission allowed the ‘Memogate’ whistleblower Mansur Ijaz to record his deposition via video-link with the Pakistan High Commission in London. In yet another development, the Supreme Court witnessed dramatic exchanges between the Bench and counsel for the ISI, which defied court’s directive to produce 11 ‘missing persons’ said to be in its custody. Having hauled up the Prime Minister for defying the court’s order, the apex court held that it would wait the whole day, if necessary, for the ISI to produce the people. The ISI counsel finally relented and informed the court that while four of the people in custody were dead, four others were undergoing treatment and the remaining three were held in remote detention centres. The agency offered to produce some of the detenus during the next hearing on Monday. In a setback to the PM, the Supreme Court today dismissed his appeal and ordered him to appear on Monday for framing of charges. The PM’s counsel, Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan, failed to convince the 8-member bench to budge from its position that the PM must write a letter to Swiss authorities to reopen a money-laundering case against the President.This despite the fact that the President enjoys immunity at home and abroad from criminal proceedings. Besides, the Swiss authorities have already closed the case. His argument that Gilani never willfully showed any disrespect to the court and had acted in good faith on the legal advice he had received, had no impact on the judges. The PM, if convicted, faces a jail term and disqualification that will plunge the country into political uncertainty. The court appears to be in a tearing hurry and seems inclined to complete the trial of the PM by the end of this month. Ahsan last week voiced fears that the contempt proceedings would lead to a dangerous institutional face-off. The PPP meanwhile smells a conspiracy with the upcoming Senate polls early next month, that may be torpedoed if the government falls. Asma Jehangir has also expressed her apprehension that partisan decisions are being delivered with disconcerting regularity.
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