Pakistan PM will not appeal against court conviction

Barrister Eatezaz Ahsan while talking to Media along with Rehman Malik

Islamabad : Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani will not appeal against his conviction by supreme court of Pakistan for contempt.

Talking to the media, the lawyer of Prime Minister barrister Mr Eatezaz Ahsan, said that after reviewing aspects of the case Speaker National Assembly Dr Fehmida Mirza had decided not to forward the disqualification reference against the prime minister to the Election Commission of Pakistan.

Earlier on Thursday, Speaker of National Assembly Fehmida Mirza rejected the March 30, 2012 reference sent to her office by Moulvi Iqbal Haider under clause (2) of Article 63. In it, Moulvi Iqbal Haider had prayed that the question regarding the prime minister’s disqualification be referred to the ECP, since Gilani had already become disqualified from membership in the National Assembly as a result of the Supreme Court conviction.

The Speaker further said that,  “I am of the view that the charges against Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani do not give grounds for a disqualification under paragraph (g) or (h) of the Constitution’s Article 63. And the Supreme Court has not framed any charge claiming the propagation of any opinion, acting in any manner against the independence of the judiciary or ridiculing the judiciary as stipulated under Article 63 (1) (g),”