President Asif Ali Ten PercentZardari
... husband of the late Benazir Bhutto, who has been singularly lacking in curiosity about who done her in ...
, the latest twist in a long-running confrontation between the judiciary and the government.
In a veiled threat to remove the new prime minister from office, the Supreme Court asked Ashraf, who replaced Yusuf Raza Gilani
... Pakistain's erstwhile current prime minister, whose occasional feats of mental gymnastics can be awe-inspiring ...
, to submit a report on compliance with its orders by July 25.
"Failing which, the court may initiate any appropriate action in accordance with the law," Justice Asif Khosa said, reading out the court's order.
Pakistain's previous prime minister, Yusuf Raza Gilani, was disqualified from his job by the Supreme Court last month after he was convicted of contempt of court for failing to restart work on the cases against the president, who also heads the ruling Pakistain People's Party (PPP).
Hours before the Supreme Court was due to resume proceedings in the case, Zardari signed into law a controversial bill exempting bigwigs from contempt of court charges, in an apparent attempt to shield Prime Minister Ashraf from the charges faced by his predecessor.
The Senate, or upper house, passed the bill after a debate late Wednesday as the main opposition party Pakistain Moslem League-N headed by former prime minister
Nawaz Sharif... served two non-consecutive terms as prime minister, heads the Pakistain Moslem League (Nawaz). Noted for his spectacular corruption, the 1998 Pak nuclear test, border war with India, and for being tossed by General Musharraf...
staged a walk out to boycott the proceedings.
The bill was passed by the lower house of parliament on Monday.
It appears the judiciary is unwilling to end a showdown with the coalition government, which could force elections before February 2013 when it would become the first in Pakistain to complete an elected, full five-year mandate.
Judge Asif Saeed Khosa rejected government stalling tactics and said Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf was "bound to implement the relevant directions of this court".
The judiciary has been trying for years to force the administration to reopen multi-million-dollar corruption cases against President Asif Ali Zardari, which its critics have likened to a personal vendetta campaign.
The allegations against Zardari date back to the 1990s, when he and his late wife, former premier Benazir Bhutto
... 11th Prime Minister of Pakistain in two non-consecutive terms from 1988 until 1990 and 1993 until 1996. She was the daughter of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, founder of the Pakistain People's Party, who was murdered at the instigation of General Ayub Khan. She was murdered in her turn by person or persons unknown while campaigning in late 2007. Suspects include, to note just a few, Baitullah Mehsud, General Pervez Musharraf, the ISI, al-Qaeda in Pakistain, and her husband, Asif Ali Zardari, who shows remarkably little curiosity about who done her in...
, are suspected of using Swiss bank accounts to launder $12 million allegedly paid in bribes by companies seeking customs inspection contracts.
Thousands of corruption cases were thrown out in 2007 under an amnesty law passed by former military ruler
Pervez PervMusharraf
... former dictator of Pakistain, who was less dictatorial and corrupt than any Pak civilian government to date ...
, paving the way for his return to civilian rule.
Two years later, the Supreme Court ruled that agreement illegal, and ordered the re-opening of money laundering cases against Zardari.
The government has refused to obey that order, arguing that Zardari has immunity as the head of state. Zardari denies any wrongdoing, and says the cases were politically motivated.