Pakistan's Supreme Court decided on Thursday to indict Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani over contempt of court for his continued refusal to re-open corruption cases against President Asif Ali Zardari despite a standing court order.
"After the preliminary hearing, we are satisfied that prima facie there is a case for further proceeding into the matter," the judges said in their ruling, and directed the Prime Minister to be present in the court when he is indicted on February 13.
Gilani's lawyer Aitzaz Ahsan indicated later that it was possible to appeal the ruling, and said: "It is up to the court whether to suspend this order or not. This will be decided after getting a copy of the order." He also confirmed that Gilani had been ordered to be present in court when he is indicted on February 13.
Gilani appeared before the Supreme Court on January 19 to defend himself against a contempt notice issued to him earlier in the month. During that hearing, Gilani insisted that he did not have any intention of defying the court.
Nevertheless, the Prime Minister stood firm on his earlier stand that President Zardari enjoyed immunity under the country's Constitution, saying: "I have discussed this with my friends and experts, and they all agree that he has got complete immunity. It will not give a good message to proceed against a President who is elected by a two-thirds majority."
Gilani could be found guilty of contempt if he fails to convince the court in later hearings why he did not re-open old corruption cases against Zardari. He faces up to six months in prison and disqualification from holding office if convicted.
The court is aggrieved over his refusal to ask Swiss officials to reopen a money laundering case against Zardari, despite the earlier court order. The Court wants the government to formally request the Swiss authorities to re-open the case.
A Swiss court had found Zardari and his late wife Benazir Bhutto guilty in absentia in 2003 of laundering millions of dollars received in kickbacks from Swiss firms while in power. The duo had appealed against that verdict, but the case was dropped after in 2008 at the request of the Pakistani government.
The Supreme Court had overturned an amnesty protecting Zardari and dozens of other top politicians from being prosecuted for corruption two years ago. The civilian government led by Gilani has so far refrained from reopening the corruption cases, insisting they were now a closed chapter.
The current case before the Supreme Court against Gilani comes amidst rising tensions between the civilian government and the country's powerful military over what has now come to be known as the "memogate scandal." The Pakistani Army has already staged four coups and ruled the country for much of its history since gaining independence from Britain in 1947.
The scandal involves a controversial memo, allegedly sent by Islamabad's former envoy to Washington, Husain Haqqani, in May to former U.S. military chief Adm. Mike Mullen. In the memo, Haqqani allegedly sought U.S. help on behalf of President Zardari in forestalling a possible military coup and reigning in the country's all powerful Army Generals.
The Supreme Court is currently hearing a petition requesting a thorough investigation into the scandal. Zardari faces impeachment if he is found to be involved in the issue. The scandal had earlier forced Haqqani, who has consistently denied drafting the memo, to resign in November.
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June 12, 2026 17:14 ET Major central bank action was the focus this week in economic news. The European Central Bank became the first major central bank to move in response to the rising inflationary pressures in the backdrop of the conflict in the Middle East. In North America, the U.S. inflation and trade data as well as Canada’s central bank decision gained attention. The Chinese trade data was the main news in Asia.