Pakistan Supreme Court disqualifies PM PAKISTAN'S top court has disqualified Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani from office in a stunning move likened to a "judicial coup" that has thrown the country into fresh turmoil. The Supreme Court convicted Gilani of contempt on April 26 for refusing to ask Switzerland to reopen multimillion-dollar graft cases against President Asif Ali Zardari, the culmination of a showdown between the judiciary and the government. The move exacerbates uncertainty in a country that is increasingly trying US patience over al-Qaeda-linked havens, struggling with a Taliban insurgency and heading deeper towards a financial crisis that could force it back to the IMF. It also dissolves the cabinet and threatens to bring general elections forward to later this year if the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and its fractious coalition members fail to agree on a replacement prime minister. "Yousuf Raza Gilani has become disqualified from being member of the parliament," said the order read by chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry overnight. "He has also ceased to be the prime minister of Pakistan with effect from the same date (April 26)," it said. The Election Commission of Pakistan is required to issue notification of disqualification ... the president of Pakistan is required to take necessary steps under the constitution to ensure continuation of the democratic process. Legal complainants in the process said the ruling rendered invalid any decision taken by Gilani since April 26. Officials suggested parliamentary votes, such as last week's passing of the budget, would not be affected. Mr Zardari immediately convened emergency talks in his PPP and summoned heads of coalition parties to the presidency at 8pm (1am on Wednesday AEST), an official said. Gilani, Pakistan's first sitting prime minister to be convicted of a criminal offence, has refused to resign and insists that only parliament can remove him from office. Members of the government accuse the court of trying to bring down Gilani and Mr Zardari before February 2013, when the administration would become the first in Pakistan to complete a full five-year term. The judiciary, fronted by the popular, anti-corruption campaigning chief justice, is on a collision course with the PPP administration, which waited until March 2009 to restore independent judges sacked under military rule. Mr Chaudhry's reputation was dented this month by allegations that his son accepted payments worth $US3.6 million ($3.57 million) from a property tycoon in a failed effort to sway the outcome of court cases.