Pakistan's Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf has been summoned before the Supreme Court for failing to reopen corruption cases against the president.

The move comes two months after Ashraf's predecessor Yousuf Raza Gilani was found guilty of contempt over the same issue and barred from office.

Judge Asif Saeed Khosa said that Ashraf had been given notice "under the contempt of court act 2003, read with article 204 of the constitution to show cause as to why he may not be proceeded against in contempt of court by not complying with the relevant direction of the court".