During the proceedings, Attorney General Irfan Qadir said that the prosecutor is bound by law, and the constitution, adding that the prosecuting lawyer should make sure no one is convicted wrongly.

The AG, however, said the prosecutor is free according to guidelines of the United Nations (UN), Irfan Qadir said.

Conflict among institutions is against national interest, he said.

Presenting his arguments before the court, the AG said there is no law regarding contempt of court in Pakistan, adding that the ordinance has been extracted from court ruling.

The 2003 ordinance was not adopted by Parliament, he added further.

The court should avoid hearing political cases, the matter should be dealt with pragmatically, he said.

In a twist in the case, Irfan Qadir said that allegations against the prime minister are baseless and he should be acquitted, adding that the court didn't issue orders directly.

Qadir said, the prime minister was not a party in this case, adding, the matter cannot be resolved through contempt of court.

The prime minister is not answerable before any court, said the AG.

A lot of honest officers lost their jobs due to the NRO, he said.

It may be mentioned that Gilani appointed several NRO beneficiaries to public offices.

Aitzaz Ahsan has spoken in detail about fair trial, said the AG.

About the role of the media, he said it should be unbiased in its reporting. 

Copyright Business Recorder, 2012