Islamabad,Jan20, 2012: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani joined two other premiers, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, in country’s history to present himself before the Supreme Court on Thursday while responding to contempt notice for refusing to comply with court order for reopening money laundering cases in Swiss courts against President Asif Ali Zardari.He has been defying various directions of the court in this regard since the top court annulled National Reconciliation Order (NRO) promulgated by former military ruler Gen. Pervez Musharraf in 2007 in a deal with slain premier Benazir Bhutto that pardoned corruption cases of politicians including Benazir and spouse Asif Zardari. After showing utmost restraint, a 7-member bench of the court issued notice to Gilani while observing that prima facie he had committed contempt and was not “honest to his oath”. Gilani concurred with Zardari’s contention that writing letter to the Swiss authorities would amount to “trial of Benazir Bhutto’s grave”. On Thursday the court deferred hearing till February 1 to first take up Gilani’s plea that the President enjoys blanket immunity. The case had put the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) government on a collision course with the judiciary just while its tensions with security establishment have been escalating endangering its very existence. Against this backdrop it was decided to respond to court notice and choose eminent jurist and estranged party leader Aitzaz Ahsan to represent Gilani in the court. This was a smart move because Aitzaz enjoys great respect and standing for leading the glorious lawyers’ movement against Gen. Pervez Musharraf following his dismissal of Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry in March 2007. By engaging Aitzaz as his counsel to defend him, PM Gilani and his mentor President Zardari have apparently made a tactical retreat from long drawn confrontation with the judiciary that has consumed most part the PPP’s rule. For the past four years Aitzaz was not only sidelined but often ridiculed and humiliated. At one stage his membership of the PPP’s CEC was suspended for continuing to lead the epic struggle of restoration of Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry. His inveterate foe Babar Awan elbowed him out on every occasion and came close to Zardari when he declared that any letter to Swiss authorities would go only “over my dead body”. Awan has used delaying tactics for the last two years to block implementation of SC verdict which endeared him to Zardari. This week when the SC suspended Awan’s licence on contempt charges, Zardari was all set to reappoint him as law minister in retaliation. That very day Aitzaz had been chosen to represent Gilani. Realising that this would send an extremely hostile message to the court, Aitzaz thwarted the decision by threatening to withdraw as Gilani’s counsel. Aitzaz was at the height of personal glory at home and abroad when he successfully won case against dismissal of CJ Chaudhry in 2007. He attained high moral ground by declaring that he would no longer appear before the CJ to dispel impression he might take undue advantage of CJ’s personal indebtedness to him. He returned PPP ticket in 2008 polls because overwhelming majority of lawyers favoured a boycott. His advice to the president that there was no harm in writing letter to Swiss authorities because he enjoyed immunity abroad as well was not liked though it would have saved the PPP from two years of debilitating and unnecessary conflict with the judiciary. Aitzaz’s agreement to defend Gilani has surprised even his admirers who believe that Zardari-Gilani duo was only exploiting his professional skills, reputation and respect before judges for their temporary gain. He has staked his image and compromised his position. They may ditch him again. On the eve of Gilani’s appearance before the court Aitzaz joined a numbers of TV talk shows to explain his position on immunity to President Zardari and the stance that Gilani has not committed contempt by defying court orders for two years. He has taken pains to explain that his position on immunity was only based on principal and did not amount to abetting corruption. Yet the general perception remains that he has seriously undermined his reputation. A batch of young lawyers, once his ardent followers, hurled slurs and abuses when he emerged from the court on Thursday. Observers felt that he appeared shaken and far below his brilliant self while briefly making his presentation before the court. While Awan is architect of PPP’s confrontationist stance, Aitzaz has pleaded moderation. Only time will tell who finally prevails in shaping up Zardari’s future policy.
