Pakistan Supreme Court today ruled that Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani stood disqualified since his conviction for contempt .The apex court has asked President Asif Ali Zardari to appoint a new premier. A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry issued the verdict in response to several petitions that had challenged National Assembly Speaker Fehmida Mirza's decision not to disqualify Gilani following his conviction nearly two months ago.

The bench further ruled that the post of premier had been vacant since April 26, when another seven-judge bench had convicted Gilani of contempt for refusing to reopen graft
cases in Switzerland against President Zardari.The bench directed the Election Commission to issue a notification stating that Gilani, 60, was no longer a member of Parliament.

The ruling Pakistan People's Party today accepted the Supreme Court's ruling disqualifying Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's membership of Parliament and decided to choose his successor tonight.A meeting of the central leadership of the PPP, jointly chaired by President Asif Ali Zardari and his son, party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, decided to accept the apex court's ruling against Gilani.

The central leadership decided to convene separate meetings of the PPP's parliamentary party and the members of the ruling coalition to choose a leader to replace Gilani .

A session of the National Assembly of
Parliament is likely to be convened tomorrow for the formal election of the new premier.