Aitzaz to represent Gilani in Pakistan SC in contempt notice over NRO case

Islamabad, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan will represent Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani in the contempt of court notice against him over the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) case on January 19.

Gilani was served a show-cause notice for contempt of court on Monday.

According to The Dawn, Ahsan met with the prime minister, who later approved the barrister to represent him in the apex court.

Earlier on Monday, a seven-judge Supreme Court bench headed by Justice Nasir-ul-Mulk had issued the order against the premier once it was evident that the government had no response to the six options laid down at the last hearing on the implementation of the NRO judgment.

The prime minister has been directed to personally appear before the court on January 19 for his refusal to write a letter to Swiss authorities for reopening cases against President Asif Ali Zardari.

Earlier in the day, Gilani said the Supreme Court and the Army should protect democracy, and not derail the system.

Speaking in the National Assembly after the passage of a resolution in support of democracy on Monday, Gilani said: “If there is no democracy then everybody will go together. Nobody will go in separate boxes.”

“We do not want a certificate of patriotism from others,” he added.

Gilani said Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto had laid down their lives for democracy and it “goes to the credit of this parliament that it restored the Constitution of 1973”.

He said the Supreme Court had called him, and he would appear before it on January 19 to show his utmost respect for the institution.