Pakistan’s embattled prime minister Thursday defended himself against contempt charges before the Supreme Court, refusing to apologize in a case that could see him disqualified from office if convicted

Pakistan's embattled prime minister Thursday defended himself against contempt charges before the Supreme Court, refusing to apologize in a case that could see him disqualified from office if convicted.
  
It is only the second time that Pakistan's highest court has initiated contempt proceedings against a sitting prime minister.
  
The court summoned Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani to explain his refusal to ask Switzerland to re-open graft cases against President Asif Ali Zardari, before adjourning the contempt hearing until February 1.
  
The government has always argued that as head of state, Zardari enjoys immunity from office and has therefore refused court demands to write to the Swiss authorities to re-open the long-standing cases.
 
Explaining his refusal, Gilani spoke of his respect for the judiciary but did not immediately tender an apology or waver from his long-standing position. "I have come today to show my respect to this court," Gilani told a seven-judge bench. "It will not give a good message to proceed against a president who is elected by a two-thirds majority." "There is complete immunity for head of states everywhere," Gilani stressed.
  
His lawyer, Aitzaz Ahsan, has argued that the government may as well do what the court wants and write to Switzerland, protected by Zardari's immunity. By writing to Switzerland, Gilani would almost certainly forgo the risk of up to six months in jail and being stripped of office.

The Supreme Court judges have listed six options in dealing with the case, which include disqualifying the prime minister and president "for violating oaths" and initiating contempt proceedings against Gilani. Another option was that "if the president thinks he has constitutional immunity he may raise the issue now" and yet another, leaving the matter to the "better judgment" of the people or parliament to "appropriately deal with".