Pakistan Supreme Court bars PM Gilani from office

Pakistan's top court has disqualified Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani from holding office, two months after convicting him of contempt of court.

The Supreme Court ruled he had "ceased to be the prime minister of Pakistan".
In April, the Supreme Court convicted Mr Gilani of failing to pursue corruption charges against President Asif Ali Zardari.
The legal case is part of a bitter feud between Pakistan's civilian government and the judiciary.
In April, Mr Gilani was given only a token sentence and spared a jail term.
Tuesday's court ruling disqualified him from office and from parliament.
"Since no appeal was filed [against the 26 April conviction]... therefore Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani stands disqualified as a member of the Majlis-e-Shoora [parliament]," Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry told a packed courtroom.
He added: "He has also ceased to be the prime minister of Pakistan... the office of the prime minister stands vacant."
The court backdated the disqualification to 26 April, raising questions over decisions Mr Gilani has made in office since then.
It is not clear what next steps Mr Gilani may take - or whether his removal means the fall of the government.

The party has the necessary majority in parliament to elect a successor to Mr Gilani.