Pakistan Court charges Prime Minister with Contempt of Court

The Supreme Court of Pakistan starts proceedings for contempt of court against the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Yousaf Raza Gilani. He is prosecuted for not reopening a corruption investigation into the finances of President Asif Ali Zardari. If convicted, Gilani faces up to six months in jail and possible disqualification from public office.

Since 2009, the Pakistan government has used various tactics to avoid the order of the Supreme Court to write a letter to the authorities in Switzerland, asking them to reopen the investigation against Zardari. The investigation dates back to the 1990s and involves his finances in Switzerland. The Pakistan government claims that Zardari enjoys immunity from prosecution while in office.

The case shows the slumbering tensions between the judiciary and the government, which threatens to destabilize the fragile democracy of Pakistan. The judicial activism of the Supreme Court has made it the third player in a confrontation between military and civilian leaders at a time when Pakistan is in urgent need of stability to face multiple threats in the country.