ISLAMABAD — Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani yesterday said that the courts, under no law, could disqualify a public representative and said he had complete immunity in discharge of his duties. Gilani said he had the right to appeal and that could not be denied. “We have full respect for the courts and I appeared before the courts thrice.”
The prime minister said he was working in line with the Constitution. “I have no moral turpitude. I have complete immunity in discharge of my duties under Article 248 A,” Gilani told reporters. He said he was yet to receive a copy of the court’s order and said he would avail his constitutional right to appeal once the detailed judgement was issued.
“I have the right to appeal, if rejected it will be sent to the parliament, and it is up to them to turn me out or not,” he said. He said it was the prerogative of the speaker of the National Assembly to decide about his future. He rejected the existence of any constitutional crisis in the country. “There is no constitutional problem in Pakistan. Only the ‘Sharif courts’ are doing their own interpretations.”
