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

Islamabad, Jan 17 (ANI): Pakistan People's Party (PPP) leader Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan will epresent Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani in the contempt of court notice against him over he 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 epresent him in the apex court.

Earlier on Monday, a seven-judge Supreme Court bench headed by Justice Nasir-ul-Mulk had ssued the order against the premier once it was evident that the government had no response to he 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 is refusal to write a letter to Swiss authorities for reopening cases against President Asif Ali ardari.

Earlier in the day, Gilani said the Supreme Court and the Army should protect democracy, and ot derail the system.

Speaking in the National Assembly after the passage of a resolution in support of democracy on onday, Gilani said: "If there is no democracy then everybody will go together. Nobody will go n 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 how his utmost respect for the institution. (ANI)