Pakistan’s Supreme Court has disqualified the country’s Prime Minister from holding office.

Yousuf Raza Gilani had been convicted of contempt of court two months ago.

Now the Supreme Court ruled he had “ceased to be the prime minister of Pakistan”.

When the Supreme Court convicted Mr Gilani of failing to pursue corruption charges against President Asif Ali Zardari in April,  he was only given a token sentence and spared a jail term.

Today’s court ruling disqualifies 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.”