Pakistan de-notifies Gilani and his cabinet

Pakistani authorities on Wednesday de-notified former Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani and his 63-member cabinet following his disqualification by the Supreme Court.

A notification issued by the Cabinet Division, dated June 19 and released to the media on Wednesday, noted that the apex court had disqualified Gilani as a member of the Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) and a notification in this regard had been issued by the Election Commission.

"Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani has also ceased to hold the office of the Prime Minister of Pakistan with effect from 26th April, 2012," said the notification that will be published in the 'Gazette of Pakistan Extraordinary'.

Another notification from the Cabinet Division stated that upon the "cessation of the office of the Prime Minister, 35 federal ministers, 18 ministers of state, four advisers to the Prime Minister and six special assistants to the Prime Minister also cease to hold their respective offices with effect from April 26".

A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry on Tuesday disqualified Gilani in response to several petitions that had challenged National Assembly Speaker Fehmida Mirza's decision not to disqualify the premier, following his conviction of contempt.

The apex court ruled that the post of premier had been vacant since April 26, when another seven-judge bench had convicted Gilani of contempt for refusing to reopen graft cases in Switzerland against President Asif Ali Zardari.

It is not clear how the government will deal with the decisions that have been taken by the prime minister or his cabinet since April 26.