Pakistan's Supreme Court Friday rejected an appeal by Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani that he filed last week against appearing before the apex court on contempt charges, his defense lawyer said, Xinhua reported.
Gilani will now appear before the court on Feb. 13 to be formally charged with failing to reopen graft cases against President Asif Ali Zardari, barrister Aitzaz Ahsan said.
"Our appeal has been rejected," Ahsan told the media after the Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, who headed an eight- member bench of the Supreme Court, rejected Gilani's the review appeal.
Legal experts are of the view if convicted the Prime Minister may face prison and lose his parliamentary seat and a five-year ban from holding any public office.
The Prime Minister and his ruling Pakistan Peoples Party have refused to write to Swiss authorities to reopen a corruption case against President Zardari. They argue that the President enjoys immunity under the constitution as head of state.
The ruling party also claims that the corruption charges are politically motivated. The Prime Minister appeared before the Supreme Court on Jan. 19 and had announced on Feb. 2 to appear again next week.
He had filed appeal on Wednesday and defense lawyer, Aitzaz Ahsan, had argued that his Supreme Court appearance on Feb. 13 should be canceled until a decision on the appeal had been delivered.
The defense lawyer did not give any indication during his two- day arguments before the court that the government will write to Swiss officials.