Zulfiqar Bhutto presidential reference hearing begins

Islamabad: Former prime minister and Pakistan Peoples party’s (PPP) founder Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s presidential reference case hearing has begun in Supreme Court (SC).

According to the details, a nine-member bench chaired by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa heard the case.

CJP stated that if you want to say something opposite of your party then tell the court.

Former attorney general Khalid Javed Khan said that he presented some objects in written form. This case trial has not run with transparency. This case trial cannot be reopened in SC yet the court can say that this case has not run in transparent form.

Justice Mansoor Ali Shah remarked that SC cannot go into Bhutto case’s merits.

Qazi Faez directed that the court is restricted to express the opinion on presidential reference.

Former attorney replied that apart from the political purposes court is restricted to express the opinion on other matters.

Justice Mansoor affirmed that in Bhutto case the court can only oversee that if the trial was fair or not.

Lawyer Khalid Javed responded that the court also must see that the whole state’s machinery was in the control of ruler Zia ul Haq at that time. He mentioned the Lahore High Court (LHC) judge who stated that Bhutto was not a good Muslim. 

He inquired that what is the point of LHC's judge that he talked about Bhutto of being a good Muslim or not. The SC did not say anything regarding this.

CJP questioned that had LHC's judge said such thing. The lawyer answered that SC's written verdict is also present in this regard in which LHC's judge observation has been mentioned. 

Qazi Isa remarked that the Bhutto case is the only one case in the history which has a military verdict consisted of 935 pages. If this much long verdict has been written in history then tell the court. 

Justice Mandokhail said that look like this detailed decision was written amid the disagreement on the verdict. 

Justice Mansoor inquied that how can the SC review this case. On this Faez Isa said that SC can over view on any court's verdict. 

Justice Mansoor said that the transparency of the trial can be seen in the Bhutto case, but the procedure should be told, how should the Supreme Court reopen the trial of a criminal case in a presidential reference.

Judicial Assistant Khalid Javed Khan said that judges were not independent during martial law.

Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan said that the constitution was abolished during martial law.

PPP leader Raza Rabbani said that when Justice Waheeduddin fell ill, the matter was kept in the court, at that time an ad hoc judge joined the nine-member bench, Qaiser Khan was the ad hoc judge in this case.