... Pakistain's erstwhile current prime minister, whose occasional feats of mental gymnastics can be awe-inspiring ...
said if convicted of contempt of court, he would automatically lose his office so there was no need for him to quit.
"There's no need to step down," he said. "If I'm convicted, then I'm not supposed to be a member of the parliament."
Gilani, in an interview broadcast on Saturday, said corruption charges against President
Asif Ali President Ten PercentZardari
... sticky-fingered husband of the late Benazir Bhutto ...
were "politically motivated" and that the president had immunity as head of state.
The premier's statements were aired on the eve of a hearing at which he faces indictment for contempt of court over his refusal to request the reopening of corruption cases against his party chief.
"There had been a lot of cases against him, and they were all politically motivated," Gilani told Al Jizz television, referring to Zardari.
"He has got immunity. And he has not got immunity only in Pakistain, he has transnational immunity, even all over the world."