Cabinet reposes full trust in Gilani

ISLAMABAD: The cabinet on Tuesday expressed "full confidence" in Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani as he prepares to go on trial for contempt of court, which could cost him his job.

"The cabinet unanimously applauded the conduct of the prime minister in the Supreme Court and reposed full confidence in his leadership," his office said in a statement.

Gilani thanked the cabinet and said he was premier "due to the support of members of parliament, his cabinet colleagues and of the coalition partners".

Addressing the gallery Gilani said, “I am thankful for your unprecedented support,” and added, “I respect you and follow you.”

Speaking further, Prime Minister Gilani said, “We respect all institutions,” and added, “All institutions should work within their domain.”

"We have no malafide intentions," he said.

"We want to carry everyone," Gilani added.

Encouraging the ministeries, the PM said, “I direct all ministeries to showcase their achievements.”

The prime minister was on Monday charged with contempt by the Supreme Court for refusing to re-open corruption cases against President Asif Ali Zardari.

He pleaded not guilty and the court adjourned until Feburary 22, the first step paving the way to a trial that could see him jailed for six months and disqualified from office.

President Zardari and his late wife, former premier Benazir Bhutto, were suspected of using Swiss accounts to launder about $12 million in alleged bribes paid by companies seeking customs inspection contracts in the 1990s.

The Supreme Court has ordered the government to ask the Swiss to re-open the cases, which were shelved in 2008, when Zardari became head of state.

The prime minister has refused, saying Zardari is immune from prosecution as president and that the cases are politically motivated.

The president is nicknamed "Mr 10 Percent" for his alleged corruption. He has already spent 11 years in jail in Pakistan on charges ranging from corruption to murder although he has never been convicted.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2012

Copyright AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2012