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Pakistan Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf had has assured the Supreme Court of an amicable solution to the NRO implementation case in his next appearance on September 18. However, he is expected to follow in the footsteps of his predecessor only and eventually lose office. The apex court had directed Ashraf to write to the Swiss authorities asking to reopen graft cases against President Asif Ali Zardari. Ashraf, however, has failed to implement the court's order so far, reports The Dawn. Former premier Yousuf Raza Gilani was disqualified from his post on June 19 for not honouring its order to write the letter. He was then replaced by Ashraf. Adviser to prime minister on political affairs Fawad Chaudhry said that for the time being the government would continue to stick to the same line taken by Gilani, that "we respect the judiciary but at the same time we have to adhere to the Constitution that bars us from exposing the president to a foreign judicial system". Former president of the Supreme Court Bar Association Tariq Mehmood said: "I see a bleak scenario because the ongoing face-off between the executive and the judiciary will further intensify in the coming days." Mehmood said if Ashraf was also disqualified, the next premier could be a woman from the special reserved seats. If that does happen the PPP would not lose a National Assembly seat if the third chief executive is also disqualified, he said.

Ashraf likely to follow in Gilani's footsteps in Swiss letter row