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ISLAMABAD: Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan has filed an appeal in the Supreme Court (SC) against the apex court’s order summoning the Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on February 13 to charge-sheet him in the contempt of court case, Geo News reported Wednesday.

In the appeal, the premier has pleaded before the court to set aside its order of February 2 as well as recall the contempt notice served on him for not implementing the court’s order on the controversial National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO).

PM’s counsel Aitzaz Ahsan has raised 54 legal points in the appeal spreading over 200 pages.

On February 2, Aitzaz failed to convince the seven-member larger bench of the country’s highest court about the question of the president’s immunity from criminal proceedings under Article 248 of the Constitution, and consequently, the apex court summoned the prime minister on February 13 to formally frame charges against him.

Soon after the court announced its verdict, Aitzaz Ahsan told reporters that he would advise his client to file an appeal in the apex court. He said the appeal may consist of all legal issues and justifications, mainly required for appeal but the main focus would be requesting the court to set aside its order of February 2 and recall of the contempt notice.

The SC bench, headed by Justice Nasir-ul-Mulk on February 2, in a short order ruled that there were sufficient grounds to proceed against PM Gilani over his refusal to follow a court order and ask Swiss authorities to reopen corruption cases against President Asif Ali Zardari.

It is widely assumed that if convicted, Premier Gilani could face up to six months in prison and be disqualified from holding office, and if sentenced, his sentence could be pardoned by the president but his conviction would stay on record, making him ineligible for holding public office for five years.