Piling up pressure on new Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf, Pakistan Supreme Court today asked him to respond by July 12 to its order to reopen graft cases in Switzerland against President Asif Ali Zardari, an issue that had cost his predecessor his job.
A three-judge bench headed by Justice Nasir-ul-Mulk reminded Attorney General Irfan Qadir that former Premier Yousuf Raza Gilani had been convicted for contempt and sentenced for refusing to act on the apex court's orders to revive the corruption cases.
The bench said in a brief order that it expected the new Premier would act on the court's directives.
The judges asked the Attorney General to consult the Prime Minister and inform the court of his stance at the next hearing on July 12.
Ashraf, a close aide of the ruling PPP chief Zardari, became Prime Minister after Gilani was disqualified by the apex court on June 19 following his conviction for contempt.
Gilani had been convicted and given a symbolic sentence on April 26 after he refused to act on the apex court's repeated orders to approach Swiss authorities to reopen the corruption cases against Zardari.
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Gilani had contended that the government could not act as the President enjoyed immunity in Pakistan and abroad.
Shortly after assuming office, Ashraf said on Sunday that the PPP had made it clear that it would not write a letter to Swiss authorities to reopen the cases against Zardari.
He said there was no difference between him and Gilani on this issue.