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29 March 2024

Pakistan election commission disqualifies Gilani

Pakistan Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani

Published
By Agencies

Pakistan's election commission on Tuesday issued a formal notice disqualifying Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani as a member of parliament as ordered by the Supreme Court.

The commission backdated the disqualification to April 26, the date that Gilani was convicted of contempt for refusing to ask Switzerland to reopen corruption cases against the president.

"The Election Commission of Pakistan hereby issues notification of disqualification of Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani as (a) member (of the) National Assembly of Pakistan with effect from 26.04.2012," it said just hours after the Supreme Court's verdict.

Earlier on Tuesday, Pakistan's Supreme Court declared Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani ineligible for office, plunging the country into another political crisis.

In April, the Supreme Court found Gilani guilty of contempt of court for refusing to reopen corruption cases against the president. Gilani's lawyer, Fawad Chaudhry, said only parliament could dismiss the prime minister.
 
"Since no appeal was filed (against the April 26 conviction) ... therefore Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani stands disqualified as a member of the Majlis-e-Shoora (parliament)...," said Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry in a packed courtroom. 

"He has also ceased to be the prime minister of Pakistan ... the office of the prime minister stands vacant." 

Gilani was the first serving prime minister in Pakistan's history to be convicted by a court.

Zardari cancels Russia visit

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday cancelled a visit to Russia in a bid to contain a domestic crisis sparked by the Supreme Court disqualifying his prime minister, a spokesman said.

Zardari was due to attend the June 20-22 St Petersburg International Economic Forum but would now hold talks with coalition partners "to consider the situation (at home) and formulate a course of action," his spokesman Farhatullah Babar said.

The president held emergency talks with leaders in his main ruling Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and summoned coalition parties to meet later Tuesday to decide how to respond, officials said.

Senior PPP members appealed for calm as isolated protests were held around the country, in a sign that the party was perhaps most likely to decide on electing an alternative prime minister rather than contesting the court ruling.

"Though we have reservations about this judgement, we will take advice from the allied parties and legal experts and will then chalk out a strategy for the future," Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira told reporters.

"The central executive committee has advised all party workers to remain calm and show patience and not to protest against the verdict," he added.

Asked whether the PPP was considering a presidential pardon for Gilani, the information minister said "no such suggestion is under consideration".

PPP secretary general Jehangir Bader said the party executive committee had given Zardari "complete authority... to take any decisions after taking advice from the allied parties".