ISALAMABAD, Pakistan. - On Tuesday, Pakistani Supreme Court bars the nation's Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani. The apex court convicted Gilani two months ago for refusing to permit a corruption case against President, Asif Ali Zardari.
Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry in the court ruling stated that Gilani "ceased to be prime minister of Pakistan," as reported by BBC News.
The disqualified head of state cannot file for appeal and the court has urged President Zardai to start the election process for a new prime minister.
The court's decision is seen by many of the country's political analysts as a consequence of the on-going animosity between the chief justice and president "with the prime minister caught in the middle," as reported by New York Times.
The decision has further deepened the rift between the government and judiciary. The two institutions have shared a hostile tit-for-tat rapport for some time now. Political analyst Najam Sethi told the New York Times, "The court has been gunning for the prime minister for a long time...Clearly there is a lot of politics in this."
Mr. Zardari held an emergency session with the Pakistan People Party and decided to accept the court's ruling; however an official confirmation is expected later today.
Gilani is expected to remain in an interim position until a new prime minster is elected to office. The ruling also implies the dismissal of the cabinet. According to BBC News, the party has the majority to elect a new member.
The impact of the ruling is not likely to majorly destabilize the government; however it has definitely created a number of difficulties, including rendering all executive decisions made since Gilani's conviction such as passing the federal budget invalid.
