A bitter legal clash between Pakistan's top court and civilian government inched toward resolution Thursday as the prime minister made a dramatic court appearance to ward off possible imprisonment while his legal team agreed to engage the court over the key issue of presidential immunity.
Amid tight security and a blaze of publicity, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani appeared before the Supreme Court to explain why he had failed to revive charges in Switzerland against his boss, President Asif Ali Zardari.
In a nearly 10-minute address before seven justices, Gilani said he never meant to "ridicule" the court but sincerely believed that Zardari enjoyed "complete immunity inside and outside the country."
On Monday, furious justices had threatened to charge the prime minister with contempt - a crime that carries a possible six-month jail sentence and probably would topple Pakistan's fragile 4-year-old civilian government.
But Thursday, after 90 minutes of often heated legal argument, the justices relented and agreed to adjourn the proceedings until Feb. 1 - buying valuable time for Zardari's team.
But their side also made one major concession. During the hearing, Gilani's lawyer, Aitzaz Ahsan, agreed to start debating the legality of Zardari's immunity - a contentious issue that could ultimately threaten the president's hold on power, analysts say.
The court insists that the president should face a corruption investigation in Switzerland over allegations that he pocketed millions of dollars in kickbacks in the 1990s.
