Pakistani court disqualifies PM Gilani from office

PanARMENIAN.Net - Pakistan's top court disqualified Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani from office Tuesday, June 19 in a stunning move likely to throw the country into fresh turmoil just months before widely expected general elections, AFP reported.

The Supreme Court announced the move after convicting Gilani on April 26 of contempt for refusing to ask Switzerland to reopen a multi-million-dollar corruption investigation into President Asif Ali Zardari in a highly politicized case.

Zardari on Tuesday convened an emergency meeting of his main ruling Pakistan People's Party after the ruling.

Television footage showed Zardari, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and Zardari's son, party co-chairman, Bilawal, gathered in the heavily guarded presidency in the capital Islamabad.

"President Zardari is presiding and Prime Minister Gilani is also attending, to assess the situation," a government official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

"Yousuf Raza Gilani has become disqualified from being member of the parliament," said chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, reading the order.

“He has also ceased to be the prime minister of Pakistan with effect from the same date (April 26) and office of the prime minister shall be deemed to be vacant accordingly. The Election Commission is required to issue notification of disqualification... The president is required to take necessary steps under the constitution to ensure continuation of democratic process through parliamentary system of government in the country," he added.

Although the ruling itself is unlikely to bring down the government, it is likely to cause fresh uncertainty in a country already struggling with Islamist militancy and economic woes.

It could also hasten the date of the next general election.