Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani will appear before Supreme Court today to face contempt charges over his refusal to reopen graft cases against President Asif Ali Zardari.

Ahead of his court appearance, Gilani said that he will resign if the apex court convicts him. In an interview to Al-Jazeera channel, he said, his conviction by the apex court will automatically result in his disqualification as a Member of Parliament.

If convicted, Gilani can be imprisoned for six months and face possible removal from office after being disqualified from holding public office for five years. Legal experts, however, point out that the President has the power to pardon him after his conviction.

Pakistan’s Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry on Friday rejected his appeal against framing of contempt charges over his failure to act on its repeated orders to revive cases of alleged money laundering against Zardari.

Gilani personally appeared in the court when it took up the contempt case on January 19 and said the government can not reopen the cases against the President because he enjoys complete immunity in Pakistan and abroad. Refusing to buy his arguments, the court told Gilani that he has no option but to write to Swiss authorities to revive graft cases against Zardari as no one is above the law.