Pak SC orders arrest of PM

Ashraf summoned, aides say he need not resign

Rumours of martial law and abrupt announcement of elections echoed across Pakistan on Tuesday as the country’s top court ordered the arrest of Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf in a corruption case.

“The Supreme Court has ordered the Federal Investigation Agency to arrest Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf in the rental power case along with 19 others and present them before the court on Wednesday,” said a court official.

As former minister for water and power, Mr Ashraf is accused of receiving kickbacks in a case involving private power stations — the so-called rental power projects — set up to provide electricity as well as various other scams.

Following the Supreme Court’s orders for the arrest of Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf in a corruption case, President Asif Ali Zardari called a meeting of the allies in Karachi to discuss the situation while the Opposition parties demanded the Prime Minister resign to save the system.

Mr Ashraf ’s Cabinet members denied he would quit. “He will remain Prime Minister. He is only an accused in the case, not a convict,” interior minister Rehman Malik said.

Mr Malik’s stance was backed by other Cabinet members who said elections would be held on time (after March 2013) and the PM would stay in charge. “The PM is not going anywhere. The rumours will die down soon,” information minister Qamar Zaman Kaira said.

The Supreme Court order came as Tehrik-eMinhajul Quran chief Dr Tahirul Qadri was addressing a huge rally in front of Parliament asking the government to quit or be kicked out.