Pakistan court will charge PM Gilani with contempt

2 February 2012 Last updated at 09:00 GMT

Pakistan court will charge PM Gilani with contempt

Mr Gilani must appear before the court to be charged

Pakistan's Supreme Court is to charge Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani with contempt for failing to reopen corruption cases against the president.

The court ordered Mr Gilani to appear before it on 13 February. If convicted he could face six months in jail and would be barred from office.

The government has refused to prosecute President Asif Ali Zardari, saying he has immunity as head of state.

Mr Zardari has rejected the corruption charges as politically motivated.

The BBC's Orla Guerin in Islamabad says the Supreme Court decision is another twist in a case which could bring down the prime minister and his government.

The case comes at a time of intense political uncertainty, with the government at loggerheads with the country's powerful military as well as the judiciary.

Pakistan has suffered three military coups since independence in 1947 but analysts believe the army has little appetite for a coup in this instance.