Speaker asked to start proceedings against Gilani
Lawyer wants prime minister disqualified over contempt conviction
Islamabad: A lawyer has filed a reference with the speaker of Pakistan's National Assembly requesting that disqualification proceedings be started against Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani because of his conviction by the Supreme Court for contempt.
Media reports yesterday quoted lawyer Maulvi Iqbal Haider as saying he had sent the reference to Speaker Dr Fehmida Mirza soon after a seven-judge bench convicted Gilani on April 26.
According to reports the speaker has been holding consultations with legal experts over the submission.
Under Article 63-2 of the constitution, if any question arises over whether a member of the National Assembly should be disqualified, the matter should first go before the speaker.
Referral
The speaker can decide if there is no case to answer. But if the conclusion is otherwise the speaker is required to send the reference to the Election Commission within 30 days. Should it not be done within this period, the question is deemed referred automatically.
Gilani was convicted of wilfully defying the apex court's order to write a letter to Swiss authorities requesting the reopening of graft cases against President Asif Ali Zardari.
The prime minister has ignored repeated opposition calls for him to step down because of the conviction, asserting that only parliament could remove him and challenging his detractors to bring a no-conference motion against him.
Gilani has not yet moved to appeal. He said on Friday that his legal team was still deciding what to do following the conviction.
