Barrister A. Ahsan to submit reply today in Gilani contempt case

Waqar Z. Kiani (Pakistan Correspondent for KMW)
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani’s counsel Barrister Aitizaz Ahsan, is due to submit his reply before the Pakistan Supreme Court today in the much hyped (pending) contempt case against him (PM Gilani).
On the previous date of hearing, a seven-member bench, headed by Justice Nasirul Mulk, had told Aitzaz that he could submit a written reply on behalf of his client or apprise the Registrar Office if the accused contemnor wanted to appear in person. The bench made it clear that in any case, the hearing would be resumed on March 21.
During the previous proceedings, Nargis Sethi, Secretary, Cabinet Division and the Ministry of Defence, had appeared and recorded her statement in support of the defence counsel.
Attorney General Maulvi Anwarul Haq also questioned Nargis. The PM was indicted for contempt of court after his failure to address a letter to the Swiss authorities requesting them to re-open closed graft cases against his party head and President Asif Ali Zardari.
The court had issued a number of repeated directions to federation to implement its order on annulled NRO, especially para 178 of the detailed judgment, dealing with the Swiss cases.
According to one of his recent addresses, Mr. Gilani had clearly enunciated his intentions that he would prefer to go to jail for contempt which was only six months rather than writing a letter wherein he could be charged with treason under the Constitution.