pakistan

SC verdict on Bhutto reference will enable democracy to progress: Bilawal

Published

2 months ago

March 6, 2024

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SC verdict on Bhutto reference will enable democracy to progress: Bilawal

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto on Wednesday said the historic verdict passed by the Supreme Court on the Bhutto reference would help Pakistan progress on all fronts, including the democratic system and judiciary.

History is set to be corrected after 44 years, the PPP chairman remarked, as he pointed to the fact that Bhutto was hanged decades ago on April 4, 1979 and his family as well as the party have been describing the move as judicial murder since then.

Talking to reporters after a nine-member bench shared its verdict, Bilawal – the grandson of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto who was the first elected prime minister of Pakistan – said the court had accepted that Bhutto didn’t get a fair trial.

He noted that it was difficult for ordinary people to trust the judicial system when a popular leader like Bhutto couldn’t get justice.

Bilawal, during a short interaction with media persons, thanked the amicus curiae appointed by the court and the lawyers who presented their opinion and argued the case.

As the Supreme Court announced a unanimous short verdict, Chief Justice Faez Isa observed that no correction was possible without admitting the mistakes committed in the past. Some of the judgements were a product of fear or favour, he said.

JUDICIAL MURDER

Bhutto was arrested on the charges of conspiring to murder a political opponent two months after his ouster from the office and declared guilty in 1978 by the Lahore High Court (LHC). His appeal in the Supreme Court was then dismissed with a 4-3 verdict in February 1979.

The case pertained to the murder of Nawab Muhammad Ahmad Khan Kasuri in March 1974 as their car was ambushed. His son Ahmed Raza Kasuri, who escaped the attack, had claimed that he was the actual target of the murder plot orchestrated by the then prime minister.

The trial both in the LHC and the Supreme Court has always remained controversial because the way it was conducted as well as the procedural flaws. Result? It has never been cited again as a precedent in any subsequent case in Pakistan.

THE REFERENCE

It was the then president Asif Ali Zardari who had moved the country’s top court on April 2, 2011, through a presidential reference under Article 186 of the Constitution to seek its opinion on revisiting the trial which had culminated with the hanging of Bhutto on April 4, 1979.

Bhutto was removed after a military coup led by the then army chief Ziaul Haq on July 5, 1977, which followed a months-long agitation, as the PNA – Pakistan National Alliance – disputed the results of rigged elections earlier that year in March.

The PNA was an alliance of nine-opposition parties – including JI (Jamaat-e-Islami) and Tehreek-e-Istiqlal of late Asghar Khan – formed as Bhutto eyed a two-thirds majority for introducing amendments to the 1973 Constitution.

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pakistan

Court reserves verdict on PTI founder’s bail plea in May 9 case

Published

5 hours ago

May 16, 2024

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Court reserves verdict on PTI founder's bail plea in May 9 case

The Islamabad district and sessions court has reserved verdict on the bail plea of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder in the May 9 case.

Judicial Magistrate Omar Shabbir heard the case against the PTI leader registered in Shahzad Town police station.

Naeem Haider Panjhota, Sardar Masroof and Amina Ali appeared before the judge as counsel for the PTI leader.

The lawyers said the case against the PTI founder had not been pursued by an authorised officer. All cases against him had been instituted on the basis of politics and should, therefore, be quashed, they demanded.

The court after listening to the arguments reserved the verdict.

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pakistan

Rawalpindi court bins plea for initiating case against former commissioner Liaquat Chattha

Published

5 hours ago

May 16, 2024

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Rawalpindi court bins plea for initiating case against former commissioner Liaquat Chattha

The Rawalpindi Sessions Court on Thursday dismissed a petition seeking the registration of a case against former Rawalpindi commissioner Liaquat Ali Chattha.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Hakim Khan issued a two-page written order on the petition.

In its order, the court observed that apart from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), a departmental inquiry was also being conducted against the former commissioner.

If the allegations were proven in the ECP and departmental inquiries, a legal action was certain, the order stated, adding that in this situation, there was no justification for registering a separate case against the former Rawalpindi commissioner.

Two lawyers from Rawalpindi had filed the petition seeking the registration of a case against former commissioner.

In a Feb 18 presser, the former commissioner admitted that elections in his division were “rigged”.

The commissioner accused Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja of being complicit in the rigging and asserted that he, along with the CEC and Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa, deserved punishment, even the death penalty, for their injustice.

Chattha expressed remorse for forcing his subordinates to engage in wrongdoing and admitted that winning candidates were made to lose on 13 seats in the Rawalpindi division.

Later on Feb 23, Chattha retracted his earlier statement in a written statement submitted to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

In the statement, Chattha confessed to having supported the narrative of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) about rigging in the general elections and maligning state institutions in exchange for a lucrative position in the future.

He stated he had been made this offer by a Lahore-based PTI leader with whom he had developed a close friendship.

Chattha alleged that “this entire planning had been formulated after consultation and approval of the senior leadership of PTI”.

He stated that this proposal was made by the said [PTI] individual in consideration of the fact that he was about to retire from service after having remained a part of the services for 32 years and enjoyed all the perks and privileges.

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pakistan

IHC orders Zartaj Gul to appear before court with record in ECL name removal case

Published

5 hours ago

May 16, 2024

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IHC orders Zartaj Gul to appear before court with record in ECL name removal case

Islamabad High Court (IHC) has sought the record from Zartaj Gul’s counsel on a petition seeking the name removal of PTI leader and MNA Zartaj Gul from the Exit Control List (ECL).

IHC’s Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri heard the case on Zartaj Gul’s name removal from ECL.

During the hearing, the state counsel stated that Zartaj Gul’s name has been included in the Provisional National Identification List (PNIL).

Upon inquiry from the court, the state counsel informed that Zartaj Gul’s name was included in PNIL on the order of Islamabad and Punjab police, and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) was responsible for including the name in PNIL.

Also read: PTI’s Shibli Faraz, Raja Basharat, Zartaj Gul secure bail in May 9 cases

State counsel added that five cases were registered against Zartaj Gul in Islamabad and Punjab.

The petitioner’s counsel, Advocate Usama, disclosed that Zartaj Gul has been granted bail in those cases. He reiterated that the name was being included in the PNIL list despite being on bail.

During the hearing, Justice Tariq Jahangiri inquired about how many cases Zartaj Gul has been granted bail in and ordered the petitioner to appear before the court in the next hearing.

Consequently, IHC has adjourned the case hearing until next week by directing Zartaj Gul’s counsel to appear before the court in the next hearing with records.

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