Pakistan’s highest court escalated its clash with the government on Monday, January 16 by initiating contempt of court proceedings against Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani for failing to pursue corruption charges against his boss, President Asif Ali Zardari.

The Supreme Court was clearly infuriated after the government’s lawyer said the government had given no instructions on how to respond to the court’s demands.

Justice Nasir ul Mulk ordered Mr. Gilani to appear Thursday to explain why he should not be charged with contempt, a charge that could open to the door to his dismissal from office.

Prime ministers are rarely called to court in Pakistan and the order was a measure of the seriousness of the clash between the two institutions, as a hawkish military hovers in the background amid sporadic rumors of a coup.

Last week the military, which has done little to disguise its loathing for the president and prime minister, warned of “potentially grievous consequences” if the government did not halt its unusually frank public criticism of the army.

Few analysts believe a coup is imminent, but speculation is rife that the military is using the court as a means of ousting President Zardari through constitutional means, The New York Times reported.