Resolution recognising Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's conviction as ‘injustice’ adopted

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly on Wednesday passed a resolution recognising the trial and subsequent conviction of former prime minister and founder of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto as ‘a gross miscarriage of justice’, ARY News reported.

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

Headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, a nine-judge bench announced its opinion on the long-pending presidential reference to answer whether it can revisit its verdict, which the PPP and jurists regard as a historic wrong.

Tabled by PPP MNA Shazia Marri, the resolution demanded from the federal government to officially declare the first elected PM of the country ‘Shaheed’ and ‘National Democratic Hero’.

It also recognised the struggles of “Begum Nusrat Bhutto Sahiba, Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, and PPP workers who sacrificed their lives to establish this truth”.

The resolution also lauded the ‘determination’ with which President Asif Ali Zardari filed presidential reference to reopen the case 12 years ago and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari who “single mindedly” pursued it.

It also lauded Supreme Court of Pakistan for finally holding and accepting the “glaring injustice meted out to Shaheed Bhutto 44 years ago”.

In light of SC judgment, the resolution demanded that the unjust verdict given in Zulfikar Ali Bhutto case must be overturned.

It further demanded to establish “Nishan-e-Zulfikar Ali Bhutto” award for workers and activists who have fought and sacrificed their lives for true democracy in Pakistan.

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.