Pakistan's Power Struggle Moves to Supreme Court as PM Faces Contempt Charges

January 19, 2012 from Al Jazeera English

A potentially explosive row between the Pakistani government and the supreme court appears to have been temporarily defused, after the prime minister was summoned to the court to face contempt charges. The court charged the prime minister with being in contempt of court for not implementing an earlier court order to the government to reopen corruption cases against President Asif Zardari. The government contends that Zardari enjoys immunity from prosecution under Pakistan's constitution. Al Jazeera's Imtiaz Tyab reports from Islamabad, the Pakistani capital.

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Pakistan

Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a sovereign country in South Asia. With a population exceeding 180 million people, it is the sixth most populous country in the world. Located at the crossroads of the strategically important regions of South Asia, Cent... Explore this topic

Supreme Court of Pakistan

The Supreme Court of Pakistan is the apex court in the judicial hierarchy of Pakistan, the final arbiter of legal and constitutional disputes. The Supreme Court has a permanent seat in Islamabad. It also has a number of Branch Registries where cases are heard. The court has a ... Explore this topic

Yousaf Raza Gillani

Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani also spelled geelani is vice-chairman of the central committee of the Pakistan Peoples Party. He presided the country as the 16th Prime minister of Pakistan from 25 March 2008 until his retroactive disqualification and ouster by the Supreme Court of Pa... Explore this topic

Immunity from prosecution

Immunity from prosecution occurs when a prosecutor grants immunity, usually to a witness in exchange for testimony or production of other evidence. It is immunity because the prosecutor essentially agrees to never prosecute the crime that the witness might have committed in ex... Explore this topic

Asif Ali Zardari

Asif Ali Zardari is the 11th President of Pakistan. He is co-chairman of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party and the widower of Benazir Bhutto, who served two nonconsecutive terms as Prime Minister. A Sindhi from a landowning tribe of Baloch origin, Zardari rose to prominence af... Explore this topic

Government of Pakistan

The Government of Pakistan, is a federal government established by the Constitution of Pakistan as a centralized governing authority of the four provinces of a proclaimed and established parliamentary democratic republic, constitutionally called the State of Pakistan. The orde... Explore this topic

Contempt of court

Contempt of court is a court order which in the context of a court trial or hearing, declares a person or organization to have disobeyed or been disrespectful of the court's authority. Often referred to simply as "contempt," such as a person "held in contempt," it is the judge... Explore this topic

President of Pakistan

The President of Pakistan is designated as the figurehead, ceremonial head of state of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The President holds an important title de jure, but the true executive powers, the powers to make decisions and executive authorizations on key matters, req... Explore this topic

Political corruption

Political corruption is the use of power by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal ac... Explore this topic

Islamabad

Islamabad is the capital city of Pakistan and the ninth largest city in the country. Located within the Islamabad Capital Territory, the population of the city has grown from 100,000 in 1951 to 1.15 million as of 2011. The greater Islamabad-Rawalpindi Metropolitan Area is the ... Explore this topic

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Pakistan

Supreme Court of Pakistan

Yousaf Raza Gillani

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