PM Shehbaz reacts to SC Bhutto case verdict

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday reacted to Supreme Court’s (SC) opinion on the presidential reference against the ‘controversial’ death sentence awarded to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, ARY News reported.

PM Shehbaz said that by admitting the mistake in Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s trial, the Supreme Court’s opinion on the presidential reference had set a new history and tradition.

The prime minister congratulated Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, President-designate Asif Ali Zardari, PPP leadership and workers for the Supreme Court’s observation that former Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto did not get a fair trial.

“It is not possible to correct the past mistake but by admitting the serious mistake, a new history and a new tradition have been set,” he remarked in a statement.

He said that rectification of an injustice of a court by the court was a positive development.

“The unanimous opinion of the Supreme Court in the Bhutto reference will help understand the history at the national level through the right perspective. The process of national unity and development can be accelerated only by correcting the past mistakes and doing away with the bitterness,” Prime Minister Shehbaz remarked.

SC Bhutto case verdict

The Supreme Court of Pakistan announced its reserved opinion on the presidential reference against the ‘controversial’ death sentence awarded to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, saying that the former prime minister Bhutto did not get a chance to a “fair trial”.

Headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, a nine-member larger bench of the Supreme Court (SC) on Monday reserved its verdict in a long-pending presidential reference, seeking to revisit the 1979 ‘controversial’ death sentence awarded to former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

The bench was also comprising Justice Sardar Tariq Masood, Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Yahya Afridi, Justice Amin Ud Din Khan, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhel, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, and Justice Musarrat Hilali.

“Zulfikar Ali Bhutto did not get a fair trial and due process enshrined in Articles 4 and 9 of the Constitution,” said CJP Isa while announcing the short order.

Presidential Reference

Former President Asif Ali Zardari had approached the Supreme Court in 2011 through a Presidential Reference under Article 186 of the Constitution, seeking to revisiting the trial of the PPP Founder Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was handed a death sentence during former military ruler General (retired) Ziaul Haq’s regime.

The first elected prime minister of the country was charged with the murder of a political rival Nawab Mohammed Ahmed Qasuri and a trial took place.

Amid petitions and appeals of clemency, and mercy from several Heads of States, Bhutto was hanged on April 4, 1979.