ISLAMABAD, Jan 18: Embattled Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani is unlikely to apologise to the Supreme Court bench that has show caused him for alleged contempt or commit to writing to Swiss authorities for reopening of graft cases against President Asif Ali Zardari.

Mr Gilani is instead expected to insist that immunity for the president prevented him from writing for revival of cases of alleged money laundering when he appears before a seven member bench of the Supreme Court headed by Justice Nasir-ul-Mulk on Thursday to justify that he does not stand in contempt by not complying with court’s 2009 orders in National Reconciliation Ordinance case.

But, the prime minister’s statement, according to a member of his legal team, would be punctuated with strong expression of respect for the court.

Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan, who would appear as the prime minister’s counsel in the contempt case, in his media appearances on Wednesday said he would tell the court not to insist on writing a letter that may be disregarded by the Swiss.

His argument relies on personal immunity enjoyed by the head of state under international law. He contends that Swiss authorities wouldn’t oblige, even if requested, because of compulsions under international law.

Mr Ahsan’s appointment as the prime minister’s lawyer was instantly taken as a sign that the government wanted to pursue conciliation with the apex court judges because of the senior lawyer’s lead role in the judges’ reinstatement campaign of 2007-08.

Mr Gilani in his speech in the National Assembly on Monday after the vote on “Pro-Democracy Resolution” had said that he would appear before the bench that had subpoenaed him to express respect for the courts.

His aides, however, stress that respect for judiciary notwithstanding, the prime minister would not budge from his stance.

“This is the party’s strategy that has the full backing of the top leadership,” one party office-bearer said adding that members of parliament belonging to PPP along with a large number of workers would turn up outside the court to express solidarity with Mr Gilani, who in recent days, quite unlike his usual appeasing posture has appeared defiant in the face of challenge from the powerful military establishment and increasingly assertive judiciary.

There is little chance that Mr Gilani’s party colleagues would accompany him to court room number 4, which has a maximum capacity of 80. Passes for all the seats have already been issued.

But, would the party strategy, essentially a mixture of respect and defiance, satisfy the judiciary?

Senior party leaders, speaking on background to Dawn.com because of the sensitivity of the issue, believe that the court would positively consider Mr Gilani’s appearance and drop contempt charges against him.

Mr Ahsan is also confident. “I’ll be able to convince the court through argument to prevent a scenario of clash between institutions,” he said in an interview.

He further believes that Mr Gilani cannot be held guilty of being contemptuous to the court.