Pakistan on Tuesday plunged into a fresh spell of political uncertainty after the Supreme Court ruled that Prime Minister Mr Yousuf Raza Gilani stood disqualified since his conviction for contempt and asked President Mr Asif Ali Zardari to appoint a new premier.
A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Mr Iftikhar Chaudhry issued the verdict in response to several petitions that had challenged National Assembly Speaker Ms Fehmida Mirza’s decision not to disqualify Mr Gilani following his conviction nearly two months ago.
The Bench further ruled that the post of premier had been vacant since April 26, when another seven-judge bench had convicted Mr Gilani of contempt for refusing to reopen graft cases in Switzerland against President Mr Zardari.
The Bench directed the Election Commission to issue a notification stating that Mr Gilani, 60, was no longer a member of Parliament.
In response to a demand from a petitioner that the court should direct the President to order the election of a new premier, the Bench asked Mr Zardari to act according to the Constitution for the continuation of democracy.
The apex court’s ruling had been expected in political circles for some time.
During the hearing of the petitions yesterday, the Chief Justice had questioned whether a convicted person could continue representing the 180 million people of Pakistan.
The judiciary and the government have been engaged in a standoff since December 2009, when the apex court annulled a graft amnesty issued by former military ruler Mr Pervez Musharraf that benefited Mr Zardari and over 8,000 others.
Since then, the judiciary has been pressuring the government to reopen the corruption cases against Mr Zardari.