Court petitions pour in seeking Gilani's removal over contempt of court case

Islamabad, May 1(ANI): Petitions continue to pour into courts in Pakistan seeking Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's disqualification following his indictment in the contempt of court case.

A petition filed by Advocate G M Chaudhry in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) sought the court order to stop Gilani from serving as the prime minister after his conviction in the contempt of court case.

It stated that Gilani defied the court's orders by not writing a letter to the Swiss authorities asking them to re-open graft cases against President Asif Ali Zardari and thus he should be disqualified, The Express Tribune reports.

The petition maintains that according to Article 63(1) g of the constitution, Gilani stands disqualified from being a National Assembly member and thus, his cabinet also stood dissolved.

Meanwhile, the Sindh High Court adjourned the hearing of a petition filed by Advocate Syed Moulvi Iqbal Haider on the same issue till May 3.

The petition too, seeks to move the Speaker of National Assembly to ask the chief election commissioner to declare the seat of the prime minister vacant upon Gilani's conviction of contempt of court.

The petition reiterated that the Supreme Court has left the decision of removing Gilani to those who hold constitutional offices and requested NA Speaker Fehmida Mirza to ask the chief election commissioner to declare the seat vacant. (ANI)