Bilawal Bhutto terms Supreme Court ruling historic in ZAB presidential reference
An emotional Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), on Wednesday hailed the Supreme Court’s (SC) stance regarding the trial, sentencing, and execution of the late Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, calling the moment ‘historic’.
‘The court has recognized that Zulfikar was denied a fair trial. We are hopeful that with today’s historic correction—where history is being rectified—the future for our country, its judiciary, and democracy will flourish,’ said Bilawal, visibly moved, while addressing the press outside the SC in Islamabad.
His statement followed the announcement by a nine-judge panel of the apex court, led by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, which delivered its judgement on the 2011 presidential reference seeking to review the judgment and execution of Bhutto, who was executed on April 4, 1979, after an SC judgement in a murder case referred to by the party as ‘judicial murder’.
‘Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was not afforded a fair trial, which did not meet the Constitutional norms of due process,’ declared CJP Isa when revealing the brief ruling of the bench, which included justices 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.
‘It is our duty to face our previous errors and oversights with modesty as part of self-reflection, demonstrating our dedication to administering justice with steadfast integrity and adherence to law,’ added the chief judge.
In his reaction to the court’s decision, the PPP chairman underscored the court’s admission that the party’s founder was not given a fair trial and that the current ruling is intended to amend historical inaccuracies.
Bilawal described Bhutto’s death sentence as a dark mark on the judiciary, pointing out that it has led to a widespread lack of trust in the justice system among people. They doubt they’ll receive fair treatment from the courts.
He remarked that because of this blemish, the public feared finding justice would be challenging.
He extended his gratitude to the judges, attorneys, and friends of the court for their contributions and shared his optimism that, with today’s steps, the judicial system will begin to move in a positive trajectory.
This development arises as the supreme court picks up the presidential reference hearing after a near one-year hiatus in December 2023.
An 11-judge bench of the supreme court, led by the ex-chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, carried out five sessions on the presidential reference, with the last one on November 11, 2022.