Pakistan fresh political crisis

Pakistan on Tuesday plunged into a fresh political crisis with the Supreme Court ordering the arrest of Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf for allegedly receiving bribes in power projects.

Already rocked by fiery cleric Tahirul Qadri's ongoing protest seeking dissolution of provincial and national assemblies, Pakistan appeared headed for uncertainty with the court setting a 24-hour deadline for authorities to implement its arrest orders that may cost a second Prime Minister to lose office in less than a year.

62-year-old Ashraf, who became Prime Minister after the exit of Yousuf Raza Gilani in June last year, has been accused of receiving kickbacks and commission in the Rental Power Projects (RPPs) case as federal minister for water and power.

Gilani had to quit in the midst of a raging battle with the Supreme court over his refusal to write to Swiss authorities to reopen graft cases against President Asif Ali Zardari there. After Ashraf assumed power, the government wrote to Swiss authorities.

It is not clear as to what will be the political fallout of the Supreme Court's order against Ashraf as this is probably the first case of an incumbent Prime Minister being ordered to be arrested in a corruption case. It remains to be seen whether the ruling PPP will elect a new leader to replace Ashraf.

In March last year, the Supreme Court had declared all contracts signed by the government for "rental power plants" as illegal and directed authorities to take legal action against those responsible for clearing the projects, including Ashraf.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB), the country's main anti-corruption agency, had so far refused to act on the court's directive.

During Tuesday's hearing, the bench issued a notice for contempt of court to NAB chief Fasih Bukhari. Bowing to demands of Shia protesters picketing on streets with bodies of their community members killed in Pakistan's worst sectarian bombings in Quetta, Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf on Monday sacked Balochistan government and imposed Governor's rule in the province.

Ashraf made the announcement after prolonged talks with leaders of the minority Shias and ethnic Hazara community of the sect, who had been staging a sit-in since Thursday demanding that the provincial government be dismissed and military given control of Balochistan's capital Quetta.

The sit-in started on Alamdar road in Quetta when three bomb blasts targeting Shias in the area on Thursday last killed around 98 people and injured over 130 others.

The minority community had refused to bury the victims of the blasts until their demands were met by the government.

Jan Ali Changezi, a central leader of the Hazara community, however, told a news agency that they would only end their protest and bury the victims after a formal notification about the dissolution of the provincial government and imposition of Governor's rule is issued.

"We are thankful to the Prime Minister for listening to our grievances but we have informed him that we will only end the sit-in and bury our dead when the notification for Governor's rule is issued," he said.

Three bomb attacks in the city on Thursday turned out to be the catalyst for the imposition of Governor's rule.

Last year alone, according to human rights organisations, around 500 Shias, most of them from the Hazara community, were killed in targeted attacks in the province.

The government came under pressure after protesters also started a sit-in outside the Bilawal House in Karachi, the official residence of President Asif Zardari who had been present in the city since last week.

Prime Minister Ashraf assured the leaders of the Shia and Hazara communities that under Governor's rule, the chief executive of the province could summon the army anytime to help the administration.