ISLAMABAD // Pakistan's Supreme Court began contempt proceedings yesterday against the country's prime minister, summoning him to explain why he refuses its order to reopen corruption charges against the president.
The court ordered Yusuf Raza Gilani to appear on Thursday to respond to charges of contempt of court.
If Mr Gilani is convicted, he could serve up to six months in prison and be disqualified from holding office.
The top court's decision puts additional pressure on the civilian government already locked in a standoff with the army over an unsigned memo delivered to Washington last year seeking US help to avert a possible coup.
The army was outraged by the memo and pushed the Supreme Court to open an inquiry into the scandal, against the government's wishes.
Some observers believe the court's pressure on the graft case is being orchestrated by the military to put maximum strain on the government.
"The Supreme Court and the government are in an open clash now, and it seems fairly obvious the court is unwilling to back off," said Cyril Almeida, a columnist for Dawn newspaper. "Once the Supreme Court, the army and the political opposition agree the government needs to go sooner rather than later, it seems very difficult for the government to stay on," Mr Almeida said.
Later in the day, Mr Gilani addressed the parliament and said he would appear in court on Thursday.
"There may be difference of opinion ... but no one can derail democracy," he said after the National Assembly passed a resolution declaring complete "confidence" in political leadership and the government's efforts to strengthen democracy.
"We don't want confrontation with any institution," he said.
Fears of a military coup have gripped Pakistan in recent weeks.
The military last week rebuked Mr Gilani for his comments to a Chinese newspaper that the statements submitted by army leadership to the Supreme Court on the memo scandal were "unconstitutional" and illegal".
Mr Gilani also sacked his defence secretary, Naeem Khalid Lodhi, a retired general who was close to the military top brass.
The army chief, General Ashfaq Kayani, has ruled out the possibility of a coup, but analysts said the military could use the judiciary, which is also seen as hostile to President Asif Ali Zardari, against the government. Mr Zardari, widower of the assassinated former prime minister, Benazir Bhutto, has faced numerous corruption cases.
However, he was given amnesty as part of a deal between Ms Bhutto and the former military ruler, General Pervez Musharraf.
The deal fell apart after Ms Bhutto was killed in 2007.
The Supreme Court overturned the amnesty law in 2009 and ordered Mr Gilani's government to reopen corruption cases against Mr Zardari but it refused to do so on the ground that he enjoyed presidential immunity.
Analysts have said the military is unlikely to stage a coup because it is already fighting a growing Islamist insurgency. However, the government may be forced into calling early elections.
"The government has made up its mind to call elections this year. These could be held in October or even early if the crisis escalated," said a politician from the ruling coalition.
The opposition parties, led by the former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, and the cricketer-turned-politician, Imran Khan, have also increased the pressure on the government to resign and call elections.
Three politicians met Mr Gilani yesterday to try to persuade him to avoid "confrontation" with the institutions.
"We told the prime minister that elections are the only way out of this crisis," Qazi Hussain Ahmed, a senior Islamist politician, said after meeting Mr Gilani.
The court initiated contempt proceedings against Mr Gilani after the government failed to respond to an order outlining a series of punitive options the judges could take if the government did not reopen the case against Mr Zardari.
The Attorney General, Maulvi Anwarul Haq, told the court he had not received instructions from the country's leaders on how to respond to the order.
The court has focused on one corruption investigation taken up by the Swiss government against Mr Zardari that was halted in 2008 when Pakistani prosecutors, acting on the amnesty, told Swiss authorities to drop the case.
foreign.desk@thenational.ae
* With additional reports from the Associated Press
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
Profile Idealz
Company: Idealz
Founded: January 2018
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Size: (employees): 22
Investors: Co-founders and Venture Partners (9 per cent)
If%20you%20go
%3Cp%3EThere%20are%20regular%20flights%20from%20Dubai%20to%20Kathmandu.%20Fares%20with%20Air%20Arabia%20and%20flydubai%20start%20at%20Dh1%2C265.%3Cbr%3EIn%20Kathmandu%2C%20rooms%20at%20the%20Oasis%20Kathmandu%20Hotel%20start%20at%20Dh195%20and%20Dh120%20at%20Hotel%20Ganesh%20Himal.%3Cbr%3EThird%20Rock%20Adventures%20offers%20professionally%20run%20group%20and%20individual%20treks%20and%20tours%20using%20highly%20experienced%20guides%20throughout%20Nepal%2C%20Bhutan%20and%20other%20parts%20of%20the%20Himalayas.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
The biog
Favourite pet: cats. She has two: Eva and Bito
Favourite city: Cape Town, South Africa
Hobby: Running. "I like to think I’m artsy but I’m not".
Favourite move: Romantic comedies, specifically Return to me. "I cry every time".
Favourite spot in Abu Dhabi: Saadiyat beach
Book%20Details
%3Cp%3E%3Cem%3EThree%20Centuries%20of%20Travel%20Writing%20by%20Muslim%20Women%3C%2Fem%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EEditors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESiobhan%20Lambert-Hurley%2C%20Daniel%20Majchrowicz%2C%20Sunil%20Sharma%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EIndiana%20University%20Press%3B%20532%20pages%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
