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Aitzaz Ahsan, lawyer for Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, leaves after appearing at the Supreme Court in Islamabad. — Photo by Reuters

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's counsel, Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan, on Thursday said that the prime minister was not disqualified after the verdict and that an appeal challenging the decision would soon be filed, DawnNews reported.

“I will file the appeal after receiving the detailed order of the court,” Ahsan told a press conference.

One of the charges in the summary judgment issued by seven judges at the Supreme Court earlier Thursday was not mentioned when Gilani was indicted in February, Ahsan said.

He was referring to Article 63 (1) (g) which he said did not apply to the charge that had been leveled against the prime minister.

“I will raise this in my appeal. The appeal will go before a larger bench of the Supreme Court,” he said.

The counsel moreover said that he was surprised that although there was no charge against the premier of 'scandalising' the judiciary, it was still made part of the judgment.

Also addressing the press conference, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader and Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira said that by appearing before the bench, the prime minister had shown his respect for the country's judiciary.

He however said that while the Sharif brothers' convictions had been quashed, a prime minister from the PPP was sentenced.

Gilani was found guilty of contempt over his refusal to obey an order to write to the authorities in Switzerland to ask them to restart corruption cases against President Asif Ali Zardari.

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