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ISLAMABAD: During Thursday’s hearing of the contempt of court case against Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, his counsel, Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan, said the United Nations, in one of its reports, had granted immunity to heads of state from prosecution in a foreign country, DawnNews reported.
Ahsan also produced the report before the Supreme Court’s seven-judge bench, headed by Justice Nasirul Mulk, to support his argument on presidential immunity.
He further said that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) had also stopped courts from trying heads of state in the past.
Ahsan said that the heads of state of Congo and Djibouti also benefited from the immunity granted to heads of state under international laws.
Concluding his arguments on presidential immunity, Ahsan said he would address the charge levelled against the premier and would prove to the bench that Yousuf Raza Gilani did not commit contempt of court.
Earlier during Wednesday’s hearing, Ahsan said heads of state enjoyed immunity from prosecution in criminal and civil cases in courts the world over.
On Wednesday, he had also concluded his arguments with respect to Article 10-A of the Constitution.
Yousuf Raza Gilani was charged with contempt of court on Feb 13 over the government’s two-year refusal to write to authorities in Switzerland asking them to re-open corruption cases against President Asif Ali Zardari.
