Pakistani court again threatens premier with contempt of court

Feb 1, 2012, 11:47 GMT

Islamabad - Pakistan's Supreme Court on Wednesday again threatened to charge Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani with contempt of court over his refusal to ask Switzerland to investigate the president for money laundering.

The warning was given to his lawyer Aitizaz Ahsan as the court ordered him to complete arguments by Thursday on why his client should not be charged with contempt.

The premier was summoned on January 19 over his failure to obey a court order to write to Swiss authorities to ask them to reopen money-laundering cases against President Asif Ali Zardari.

'The court will initiate the contempt proceedings against Mr Gilani if you (Ahsan) fail to convince the court that it should do otherwise by tomorrow,' said Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, one of the seven judges.

Gilani has argued that the letter was not dispatched because the president, who also heads the ruling Pakistan People's Party, enjoyed immunity in the country as well as in Switzerland.

The issue has brought the country's increasingly assertive judiciary and the civilian government into conflict, triggering a political crisis.

Gilani could lose his job if the court finds him guilty of contempt of court. Such a decision would push Pakistan into a deep political crisis at a time when its economy is faltering and it is battling Islamist militants.