Prez enjoys immunity: Gilani to SC

Embattled Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Thursday defended himself in a contempt of court case before the Supreme court telling the judiciary that since "the president enjoys immunity" his government had not asked the Swiss authorities to re-open graft cases against President Asif Ali Zardari.

´I cannot even think of ridiculing the court and all over the world, presidents enjoy immunity and Constitution of Pakistan also provides immunity to the president. That is why we did not write to Swiss authorities,´ Gilani told the court, according to Geo News.

The contempt of court case against Gilani was adjoured till Feb 1, leaving it unresolved for nearly another fortnight.

Gilani later came out of the court and waved at his supporters.

Gilani is the third elected prime minister of Pakistan to appear in court on contempt charges.

Gilani told the Supreme Court judges that he had spent six years in jail and had never ran away from courts and has utmost respect for it.

Gilani told the court that till the time Asif Zardari is President, letter cannot be written to Swiss authorities as he enjoys immunity under Article 248 of the Constitution.

He said the court order to pursue against him can be followed when he is no longer the President.

According to reports, Supreme Court judge Asif Saeed Khosa said "today is the great day in the history of the country as the Chief Executive is appearing before the bench."

Earlier on Jan 16, Pakistan´s parliament passed a trust vote in favour of the government, lending a thin breather to beleaguered Premier Yousuf Raza Gilani who had received a drubbing from the top court for not acting on graft charges against President Zardari.

In a trust vote mooted by the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)-led coalition, the lower house passed a resolution to "support democracy" in the country, that has descended into a dangerous power tussle between the civilian government and the powerful military in recent weeks.

Prime Minister Gilani, addressing the Parliament said that it was supreme, responsible and sovereign.

He said that he was ready to face the contempt charges levelled against him by the Supreme Court and would appear in front of it on Jan 19.

The Supreme Court had issued a contempt notice to the Prime Minister for refusing to obey a 2009 order against the President.

Tightening screws on the country's embattled leadership, the judiciary, that has become increasingly assertive in recent years and may have been further emboldened by widespread resentment of the government, had called Gilani ´dishonest´.

Pakistan's political spectrum and the media have been abuzz with rumours of a possible military coup kindled by a controversy involving a diplomatic memo, purportedly crafted by Pakistan's former envoy to the U.S., Husain Haqqani.

The memo seeking American help to stave off a military coup in Pakistan was made public in a newspaper column by Pakistani-American businessman Mansoor Ijaz last October and marked the beginning of an increasingly tumultuous tussle in the country.