Pakistani prime minister faces supreme court accused of contempt.

The Guardian - A contempt case against the Pakistani prime minister, Yusuf Raza Gilani, has been adjourned by the country's supreme court after a hearing that took place amid tight security in Islamabad, the capital.

The court has threatened Gilani with contempt for failing to pursue corruption accusations against the president, Asif Ali Zardari, and other officials. The case against Gilani will resume in February.

The decision comes as the latest blow for Gilani's civilian administration, which also faces pressure from the military over a mysterious memo seeking US help to avert an alleged coup last year.

Some question whether the government can survive. It is already widely accused of failing to deal with poverty, power cuts, dilapidated infrastructure and a struggling economy.

The tensions could bring down Gilani, who until recently had smooth ties with all of Pakistan's power centres. The downfall of the government could plunge the strategic US ally into a full-blown political crisis and impede economic and political progress.

Pakistanis got a taste of what may come – more delays in everything from economic reforms to investment in the troubled power sector – even before the court session started on Thursday.

Traffic crawled to a halt after police blocked off parts of the city to impose tighter security. Hundreds of police were stationed outside the court as every car was checked. Gilani's security men combed the building.

While Gilani faces contempt accusations, most observers say the court's real target is Zardari.

During the 1990s Zardari had multiple cases of corruption and even murder lodged against him, all of which he says were false and politically motivated.
An amnesty deal that protected him from prosecution was nullified in 2009 and the court has been pushing for the government to reopen and investigate the corruption cases against him. The government refuses to do so, saying Zardari enjoys immunity as the head of state.

While Gilani is not considered to be in immediate danger and the case is expected to be drawn out, he could have to step down eventually if held in contempt of court.

Gilani won a unanimous vote of confidence in parliament when he became prime minister nearly four years ago, and has been known as a peacemaker even among the ruling Pakistan People's party's most bitter enemies. Unlike Zardari he was seen as having smooth ties with the military until the latest turmoil.

His diplomatic skills may not be enough to fend off both the supreme court and Pakistan's generals, who have ruled the country for more than half of its 64-year independence through coups and from behind the scenes.

"The fact is that it's not just the anger of the judges against the PM, it's the anger of the army against the PM as well," said Ayesha Siddiqa, a defence analyst.