Pakistan crisis: Noose tightens around Gilani, Zardari

Mtoday news / CNN-IBN

Islamabad, Jan 16: The noose seems to be tightening around Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani. On Monday, the Pakistan Supreme Court served him a contempt notice for failing to re-open corruption cases against President Asif Ali Zardari. Gilani may now be forced to apologise to the court in person and even seek re-opening of those cases.

Gilani, under siege, declared in Parliament on Monday that he will respond to summons from the Supreme Court and explain his inaction on court’s orders to revive criminal proceedings against Zardari in Switzerland. The Pakistan Prime Minister also pleaded with Parliament for its support reminding it of its sovereignty, before he won a crucial trust vote.

 

 

Monday had begun with speculation over whether the Prime Minister would survive the day. The government had to inform the court why it didn’t execute the orders against Zardari on corruption cases, instead it chose a clumsy defiance, which was complete silence.

An incensed Supreme Court almost immediately served Gilani a contempt notice and an order to personally appear before it on Thursday.

Soon, the Opposition stepped up the offensive with both Nawaz sharif and Imran Khan using the government’s defiance of the Supreme Court to seek an early election.

Gilani is now expected to apologize in person before the court. This will be a move which suggests he will seek re-opening of the old corruption case against Zardari. The noose appears tightening on Zardari in another case, that is the memogate scandal. By January 24, key witness Mansoor Ijaz will try and nail him as a conspirator against the Army. There’s a possibility of an early election in the air and the Army in the shadows, both driving the government to seek political support from Parliament, projecting the battle as one between dictatorship and democracy.