Party stands firm with Gilani after Supreme Court conviction

Islamabad: The ruling Pakistan People’s Party today rallied behind Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani following his conviction of contempt by the Supreme Court, making it clear that he would continue to hold the post. A meeting of the top leadership of the PPP chaired by President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Gilani “expressed dismay that an elected Prime Minister of the country had been sentenced for upholding the Constitution and supremacy of the parliament”. The PPP’s leadership noted “with disappointment” that no dictator had been punished by the judiciary for suspending and abrogating the Constitution and expressed “complete solidarity” with the premier. The leaders declared that “Gilani was the elected Prime Minister of the country and could be removed only in accordance with the procedure laid down in the Constitution”, said presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar. The meeting also “expressed concern over attempts to dismiss an elected government and an elected Prime Minister”, he said. [caption id=“attachment_290097” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Reuters”]  [/caption] “After careful deliberations, the meeting decided to give a robust, considered and appropriate response to the new challenges with great political maturity and wisdom on the one hand, and firmness on the other, and employing all democratic and constitutional means available,” Babar said. The PPP leaders, including Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar, Interior Minister Rehman Malik and Law Minister Farooq Naek, gathered to assess the situation hours after the apex court convicted Gilani of contempt for refusing to act on repeated orders to reopen cases of alleged money laundering against Zardari in Switzerland. The court gave Gilani a symbolic sentence of about 30 seconds. However, the short order issued by a seven-judge bench left open the possible disqualification of Gilani. The cabinet decided there was no need for Gilani to resign as he had not been convicted for a criminal offence. Gilani’s lawyer Aitzaz Ahsan, one of Pakistan’s leading lawyers and a senior leader of the PPP, said the government would appeal the Supreme Court’s verdict. He contended that the court’s verdict had gone “beyond the scope” of the charges framed against the premier. The Supreme Court has been pressuring the government to reopen the cases against Zardari since December 2009, when it struck down a graft amnesty issued by former military ruler Pervez Musharraf. Gilani and the government have refused to act, saying the President enjoys complete immunity in Pakistan and abroad. The PPP leaders further decided that the party “will not be deterred from continuing its struggle for upholding the Constitution, the parliament and the rule of law”, presidential spokesman Babar said. President Zardari and Prime Minister Gilani held a separate meeting with leaders of the parties in the PPP-led coalition. This meeting was attended by PML-Q leaders Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, Afrasiab Khattak of the Awami National Party, Farooq Sattar and Babar Ghauri of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and senior PPP leaders. Zardari thanked his allies for their support and for standing behind the premier. PTI