CNewsworld.com: Yousuf Raza Gilani is still Pakistan PM: Washington
WASHINGTON: The US believes that Yousuf Raza Gilani remains Prime Minister of Pakistan and vows to carry on working with leader of the democratic government, SAMAA reports.
“There was a court decision. He was given a 30-second sentence, I believe, and he remains the Prime Minister of Pakistan,” State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland told reporters at her daily news conference.
“And as such, we continue to work with him, and (Special US Representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan) Ambassador (Marc) Grossman did meet with him in Pakistan,” Nuland said in response to a question.
Grossman during his trip to Islamabad met top Pakistan leaders, including President Asif Ali Zardari and Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, during which he discussed with them the bilateral relationship.
Gilani on Friday refused to step down as he made a defiant appearance in parliament a day after his conviction by Supreme Court of Pakistan over a corruption investigation into the president.
Yousuf Raza Gilani faced opposition calls to quit after the SC convicted him of contempt for refusing to write to Swiss authorities asking them to reopen a multi-million-dollar graft probe into President Asif Ali Zardari.
His lawyer has said he will appeal against the verdict, which made him the first sitting premier in Pakistan’s history to be convicted, and Gilani said only parliament had the authority to remove him from office.
“There is no law to remove an elected prime minister, parliament is the supreme authority and only this parliament has the authority to remove me,” he said. — AGENCIES
