ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan announced its reserved opinion on Wednesday regarding the presidential reference against the ‘controversial’ death sentence handed to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, stating that the former prime minister Bhutto was not afforded a “fair trial.”
Led by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, a nine-member larger bench of the Supreme Court (SC) reserved its verdict on Monday in a long-pending presidential reference, seeking to review the 1979 ‘controversial’ death sentence of former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.
The bench, 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, also participated in the proceedings.
“CJP Isa announced the short order, stating, “Zulfikar Ali Bhutto did not receive a fair trial and due process as guaranteed in Articles 4 and 9 of the Constitution.”
CJP Isa mentioned that a detailed opinion would be issued later by the SC. The proceedings were broadcast live on the Supreme Court’s website.
In the previous hearing, CJP Justice Qazi Faez Isa had indicated that the court would announce a short order on the reference in a few days following consultation.
Former Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry had conducted five hearings on the presidential reference, with the last hearing held on November 11, 2012.
In 2011, former President Asif Ali Zardari approached the Supreme Court through a Presidential Reference under Article 186 of the Constitution, seeking a review of the trial of PPP Founder Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was sentenced to death during the regime of former military ruler General (retired) Ziaul Haq. The first elected prime minister of the country was accused of the murder of political rival Nawab Mohammed Ahmed Qasuri, leading to his trial.
Despite numerous petitions and appeals for clemency and mercy from various Heads of States, Bhutto was executed on April 4, 1979.
