Legal case against Gilani related to contempt rather than Zardari's immunity: Lawyer

Islamabad, Jan 19(ANI): Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's lawyer, Aitzaz Ahsan has said that the ongoing case was concerned with whether his client had committed contempt of court by not writing a letter to the Swiss authorities seeking to re-open a money-laundering case against President Asif Ali Zardari.

Ahsan stressed that Zardari enjoys immunity under the Pakistan Constitution and the letter to the Swiss authorities could not be written till his tenure had ended.

"Respect of courts is our prime responsibility. The president enjoys blanket immunity in this case. The case was not of presidential immunity but now it has become such," The News quoted Ahsan, as saying.

Supreme Court Justice Sarmad Jalal Usmani questioned if Gilani would write the letter if the court proved that the president did not have immunity.

Ahsan also requested the court to give him a month deadline to prepare the case.

The court ordered Ahsan to submit his reply on February 1, the next day of hearing.

According to Ahsan, an elected prime minister appearing before the court should be seen as a new landmark in Pakistan's history. (ANI)