Supreme Court Issues Detailed Judgment on Presidential Reference of Former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s Hanging

Islamabad:In a monumental development, the Supreme Court has released a comprehensive 48-page verdict on the presidential reference concerning the hanging of former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa authored the detailed opinion, with Justice Sardar Tariq Masood and Justice Mansoor Ali Shah adding supplementary notes.

The detailed document highlights that the presidential reference, initiated under Article 186 of the Constitution in 2011, sought the Supreme Court’s opinion on five specific questions. The court concluded its final hearing on November 12, 2012, after the presidential reference had been pending for 11 years. During this period, all nine judges who were to hear the reference retired, necessitating its reassignment on December 12, 2023.

The extensive opinion by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa underscored that the hanging of an innocent individual without a fair trial was an injustice. It lamented that during martial law, the military courts, sworn to uphold American loyalty, ceased to serve the interests of the people. The detailed judgment elaborated that General Zia-ul-Haq benefited directly from the decision to hang Bhutto. Had Bhutto been acquitted, he could have faced serious treason charges against General Zia-ul-Haq.

The detailed opinion also revisited the events of July 5, 1977, when Army Chief General Zia-ul-Haq imposed martial law, leading to the closure of investigations into the murder of Ahmed Raza Khan on May 3, 1976. The investigation into Ahmed Raza Khan’s murder was reopened based on directives from the Director of the FBI, with Sultan witness in the final report on September 18, rescheduled April