Pakistan was thrown into fresh political turmoil after the country's supreme court disqualified Yousuf Raza Gilani, the prime minister, from holding office.
Pakistan was thrown into fresh political turmoil on Tuesday after the country's supreme court disqualified Yousuf Raza Gilani, the prime minister, from holding office.
The coalition government held talks last night, with indications that political leaders could make an immediate decision on selecting a new prime minister, rather than challenging the decision.
The removal of Gilani will mean months of wrangling and inaction before elections next year, at a time when Pakistan is struggling with the Taliban insurgency, fraught relations with the US and power cuts that have prompted riots.
The government has also faced a long-running confrontation with Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Pakistan's chief justice.
In April, Gilani was convicted of contempt of court for refusing to ask Swiss authorities to reopen corruption proceedings against President Asif Ali Zardari. Yesterday he was told that he could no longer hold office. "Yousuf Raza Gilani is disqualified from membership of parliament from April 26, the date of his conviction. He has also ceased to be the prime minister of Pakistan," the chief justice's order read.
Gilani's supporters claimed there was a plot to bring down the government, possibly backed by the military.
He was Pakistan's longest serving prime minister, having served four years, two months and 25 days. The coalition will become Pakistan's first democratically elected administration to hand over power at elections if it manages to struggle on to a poll early next year.
Last night Zardari's Pakistan People's Party met to begin selecting a new prime minister, a process that is expected to involve repeated rounds of haggling. Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar, a former defence minister, was among the names mentioned by party insiders.
Imran Khan, the cricketer-turned-politician, who along with Nawaz Sharif, the main opposition leader, asked the Supreme Court to disqualify Gilani, said the judgment struck a blow for ordinary people against the "kleptocracy". "This is a landmark decision for Pakistan," he said. "For the first time in our history a powerful man has been brought under the rule of law."
The origins of the case lie in charges against Zardari dating to the 1990s when his wife, Benazir Bhutto, was prime minister. They were accused of moving millions of dollars into Swiss bank accounts. In March the Supreme Court ordered Gilani to ask the Swiss authorities to reopen the cases against Zardari, who has always claimed the charges were politically motivated. Gilani refused and was found in contempt of court, serving a token 30-second sentence.
Fawad Chaudhry, a special adviser to Gilani, claimed the case was political and the hearing yesterday was designed to distract attention from the chief justice's own problems.
Hasan Askari Rizvi, a political commentator in Lahore, said he expected a new prime minister would face exactly the same legal challenges as Gilani.
"The confrontation will continue. The supreme court will insist that the new prime minister write the letter to the Swiss authorities," he said.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}