Pakistan's Supreme Court has given the country's new prime minister two weeks to indicate whether he will ask Swiss authorities to reopen corruption cases against President Asif Ali Zardari.
Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftihar Chaudhry said that he expects newly elected Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf to move to reopen the corruption investigation.
It was not immediately clear how Ashraf, a senior member of the president's ruling Pakistan People's Party, will respond, but the Pakistan People's Party maintains that the president has immunity while in office.
Demands by the court that the Pakistani prime minister ask Switzerland to reopen the cases led to the downfall of the previous prime minister, Yusuf Raza Gilani, who had rejected the court's order.
Gilani was dismissed June 19 after being convicted of contempt over the issue.
Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftihar Chaudhry said that he expects newly elected Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf to move to reopen the corruption investigation.
It was not immediately clear how Ashraf, a senior member of the president's ruling Pakistan People's Party, will respond, but the Pakistan People's Party maintains that the president has immunity while in office.
Demands by the court that the Pakistani prime minister ask Switzerland to reopen the cases led to the downfall of the previous prime minister, Yusuf Raza Gilani, who had rejected the court's order.
Gilani was dismissed June 19 after being convicted of contempt over the issue.
