Why gilani convicted

Zardari cancelled a visit to Russia over the Supreme Court judgment, a presidential spokesman said. Thousands of corruption cases were thrown out in by an amnesty law passed under former military president Pervez Musharraf, paving the way for a return to civilian rule. Two years later, the Supreme Court ruled that agreement illegal and ordered the re-opening of money laundering cases against Zardari that involved Swiss bank accounts.

In the last few days, Pakistanis furious over power cuts that can last up to 18 hours a day in some areas have burned tires in the streets and thrown rocks at buildings. Two of them died of their wounds. Washington is trying to persuade Islamabad to re-open supply routes to NATO forces in Afghanistan that were closed last year in protest against a NATO cross-border strike that killed two dozen Pakistani soldiers.

The couple allegedly received kickbacks from Swiss companies and then laundered the cash. Although they were found guilty by a Swiss court in , Zardari appealed and prosecutors dropped the case. When Chaudhry ordered Gilani to ask the Swiss authorities to reopen the case the government refused, arguing the president enjoyed immunity as head of state.

Chaudhry's willingness to take up cases against some of Pakistan's most powerful people has earned him legions of fans. But his status as a legal hero has been undermined recently by allegations from a billionaire real estate tycoon called Malik Riaz who claims the chief justice's son had demanded millions of dollars in bribes to influence supreme court cases.

However, the ongoing controversy surrounding Chaudhry's family is likely to be wiped out by his decision to oust the prime minister. Mr Gilani argues that the president, who denies the corruption charges, has immunity as head of state.

President Zardari is accused of using Swiss bank accounts to launder bribes. The Supreme Court has said Mr Gilani defied a court order to write to the Swiss authorities and ask them to re-open the cases against Mr Zardari. Some politicians, including the main opposition leader, Nawaz Sharif, have already called on the prime minister to resign in the wake of his conviction.

The media will also be raising this question in coming days. One opposition politician in an informal chat outside the court said it was unlikely because "Gilani has the numbers". Even if Mr Gilani finds himself disqualified at some point in the near-future, the parliamentary opposition is not expected to create hurdles in the election of his replacement, analysts say.

Given the defiant mood of the PPP, they say, Mr Nawaz Sharif's PML-N party is unlikely to take the confrontation to a pitch where extra-parliamentary forces, notably the military, would find the room to step in. Such confrontation can also confound the already brittle security situation of the country. An indication of such a scenario was at play in parts of southern Punjab and most of Sindh province where PPP activists took to the streets soon after the court verdict, forcing markets to close and burning tyres on roads to suspend traffic.

Slogans of triumph. Critics accuse the military and judiciary of a witch hunt. The rising bench paid him no heed.