On December 12, a nine-member bench of the Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, is set to review a significant presidential reference.
The reference pertains to the controversial 1979 death sentence of former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. The bench includes notable justices such as Sardar Tariq Masood, Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Yahya Afridi, Amin-ud-Din Khan, Jamal Khan Mandokhel, Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, and Musarrat Hilali.
The initiative to revisit the case was propelled by a presidential reference filed on April 2, 2011, by then-president Asif Ali Zardari. This move seeks the Supreme Court’s opinion on the trial of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, founder of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).
Bhutto, as the first elected prime minister, faced charges for the murder of political rival Nawab Mohammed Ahmed Qasuri and was tried under the regime of former military ruler General (retired) Ziaul Haq.
Despite several petitions, appeals for clemency, and mercy pleas from numerous Heads of State, Bhutto was executed on April 4, 1979. The PPP has consistently argued that Bhutto’s execution was a case of ‘judicial murder.’
The upcoming Supreme Court hearing is a pivotal moment, possibly redefining a significant chapter in Pakistan’s political and judicial history.
