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| Version 4 | Version 5 |
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| Pakistan PM Gilani stands firm in contempt battle | Pakistan PM Gilani stands firm in contempt battle |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has appeared before the country's Supreme Court in contempt proceedings, to defend his record. | |
| The court initiated the hearing over Mr Gilani's refusal to ask Swiss officials to reopen a corruption case against President Asif Ali Zardari. | The court initiated the hearing over Mr Gilani's refusal to ask Swiss officials to reopen a corruption case against President Asif Ali Zardari. |
| If found guilty of contempt he could be banned from holding public office. | If found guilty of contempt he could be banned from holding public office. |
| A stand-off between the government, the judiciary and the military threatens to topple Mr Gilani's government. | |
| After a hearing lasting little more than an hour the case was adjourned until 1 February. | |
| Mr Gilani smiled and waved as he arrived at the Supreme Court, accompanied by his legal team and senior cabinet ministers. | |
| In a lengthy opening statement to the seven judges, he spoke of his respect for the court and the Pakistani constitution. | |
| He said he had not intended to defy the court but that he believed Mr Zardari had presidential immunity from prosecution. | He said he had not intended to defy the court but that he believed Mr Zardari had presidential immunity from prosecution. |
| "I have discussed this with my friends and experts, and they all agree that he has got complete immunity," Mr Gilani said. | |
| "It will not give a good message to proceed against a president who is elected by a two-thirds majority." | "It will not give a good message to proceed against a president who is elected by a two-thirds majority." |
| He said it would not be good idea to throw the president to the "wolves". | |
| Mr Gilani's embattled government is currently embroiled in disputes with the judiciary and also with Pakistan's powerful armed forces. | Mr Gilani's embattled government is currently embroiled in disputes with the judiciary and also with Pakistan's powerful armed forces. |
| The prime minister sounded conciliatory at the hearing but his appearance was intended to be a show of strength for the government, says the BBC's Aleem Maqbool in Islamabad. | The prime minister sounded conciliatory at the hearing but his appearance was intended to be a show of strength for the government, says the BBC's Aleem Maqbool in Islamabad. |
| 'No harm' | 'No harm' |
| Mr Gilani has long refused to request the Swiss authorities to reopen the corruption case against President Zardari, as the Supreme Court has demanded. | |
| But his lawyer, Aitzaz Ahsan, indicated on Wednesday that the prime minister might reverse that stance. | |
| "There is no harm in writing a letter to the Swiss authorities," he said. | "There is no harm in writing a letter to the Swiss authorities," he said. |
| "The president has complete immunity against criminal procedures in the courts." | "The president has complete immunity against criminal procedures in the courts." |
| He added: "I don't think the prime minister has committed contempt of court by not writing the letter. Through my arguments I will try to convince the court that the prime minister is not guilty of contempt." | He added: "I don't think the prime minister has committed contempt of court by not writing the letter. Through my arguments I will try to convince the court that the prime minister is not guilty of contempt." |
| Money laundering | Money laundering |
| Mr Zardari and his late wife, former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, were found guilty in absentia by a Swiss court in 2003 of laundering millions of dollars in kickbacks from Swiss firms while they were in government. | Mr Zardari and his late wife, former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, were found guilty in absentia by a Swiss court in 2003 of laundering millions of dollars in kickbacks from Swiss firms while they were in government. |
| They appealed and Swiss officials dropped the case in 2008 at the request of the Pakistani government. | They appealed and Swiss officials dropped the case in 2008 at the request of the Pakistani government. |
| The case was one of thousands dropped as a result of an amnesty that allowed Ms Bhutto to return from self-imposed exile and run for election in 2008. She was assassinated shortly after returning in late 2007. | The case was one of thousands dropped as a result of an amnesty that allowed Ms Bhutto to return from self-imposed exile and run for election in 2008. She was assassinated shortly after returning in late 2007. |
| However, in 2009 Pakistan's Supreme Court declared the amnesty unconstitutional, leaving those covered by it open to prosecution. | However, in 2009 Pakistan's Supreme Court declared the amnesty unconstitutional, leaving those covered by it open to prosecution. |
| The government is also engaged in a dispute with the military over an anonymous memo asking for US help to avert a possible army coup in Pakistan. The memo was sent in the wake of the killing of Osama Bin Laden in a US raid in May 2011. | |
| US officials have acknowledged receiving the memo but say they took no action over it. | US officials have acknowledged receiving the memo but say they took no action over it. |
| Both disputes have overshadowed Pakistan's deteriorating relationship with Washington following US air strikes that accidentally killed 24 Pakistani soldiers in November. | Both disputes have overshadowed Pakistan's deteriorating relationship with Washington following US air strikes that accidentally killed 24 Pakistani soldiers in November. |