Earlier, Attorney-General Maulvi Anwarul Haq told the Supreme Court that he did not get any instructions from the government in response to the six options put forward by the apex court in the NRO implementation case.
A seven-judge bench of the apex court, presided over by Justice Nasirul Mulk, was hearing the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) implementation case.
The attorney-general said that he had informed all concerned authorities about the court's directives about writing letter to Swiss officials but did not get any response from them.
At this Justice Nasirul Mulk observed that the attorney general was not to convey the orders but to get instructions from the concerned officials about writing letter to the Swiss officials.
Justice Mulk directed the AG to proceed with his arguments over the six scenarios put forward by the apex court.
Justice Asif Saeed Khosa of the SC bench assailed the attorney-general over presenting the case without getting a response from the government. "You should not have arrived today without instructions from the respondents when it was clearly directed in the last hearing," he said. He said comments were made on the judgment of the court without reading it and whether it should be considered by the court that the officials were not prepared to say anything and the court may issue the orders as it deems appropriate.
In response, the attorney general said he cannot say anything.
Justice Nasirul Mulk said the attorney general was given two tasks about NAB and writing letters to the Swiss authorities and directed to get instructions and inform the court. The attorney general said he remained in touch till 2am with the officials and was told that the matter was under consideration.
Justice Asif Khosa said this gives the impression that no one wants to appear before the court. He said media in its reports said the court declared the prime minister as dishonest while the court order stated that apparently the prime minister has not done honesty to his oath.
The court gave 20 minutes to the attorney general to get instructions from the government. Despite the 20 minutes break the attorney general could not present government's view point after which the court issued contempt notice to the prime minister and fixed hearing for the 19th of January.
"In these circumstances, we are left with no option, as a first step, to issue a show cause notice," the notice issued by the seven-member bench stated. "The prime minister should appear personally in the court on Jan 19."
Under Article 204 of the Constitution of Pakistan, a court shall have power to punish any person who, abuses, interferes with, or obstructs the process of the court (Supreme Court or a High Court) in any way or disobeys any order of the court.
Law Minister Maula Bux Chandio said that the government would consult lawyers with respect to the court's notice and that whatever would be done would be done in accordance with the law and constitution.
Moreover, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Fasih Bukhari apologised unconditionally to the court.
Justice Khosa observed that the court's orders were not being taken seriously. Earlier in the day, the court had adjourned the hearing after it was informed that the attorney-general was at the Islamabad High Court building for a hearing of the commission probing the memo scandal.
Gilani second PM summoned by SC after Nawaz Sharif
Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani is the second prime minister in the history of the country to have been summoned by the Supreme Court. He has been asked by the seven member bench of the apex court to personally appear on 19th January.
Earlier Chief Justice Sajjad Ali Shah had summoned Mian Nawaz Sharif in the court during his second tenure as Prime Minister in 1997.
The contempt notice has been issued by the Supreme Court after refusal by the government to write letter to the Swiss officials for reopening of corruption cases.
