Islamabad: Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's bid to avert his looming indictment for contempt by the Supreme Court failed as an eight-judge bench dismissed his appeal yesterday.
The bench, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, upheld the February 2 order passed by the apex court, which summoned the prime minister to face contempt charges on Monday.
Gilani will face contempt charges over the government's two-year refusal to approach Swiss authorities to reopen corruption cases against President Asif Ali Zardari on the grounds that the head of state has immunity from prosecution.
If convicted, Gilani could face up to six months in prison and disqualification from office, leading to election of a new prime minister through the National Assembly by the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party and its allies.
His counsel, Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan, confirmed that the prime minister would appear in the court on February 13. "Our appeal has been rejected and we will appear in the court on Monday," Ahsan told reporters outside the court.
