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Zardari seeks re-opening of Bhutto's death penalty case

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Islamabad, April 1, IRNA -- President, Asif Ali Zardari, on Friday asked the Supreme Court to revisit the award of death penalty to Pakistan’s first directly elected Prime Minister, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, and give its opinion on the death sentence.

Bhutto, who served as Prime Minister from 1973 to 1977, was executed in 1979 after the Supreme Court of Pakistan sentenced him to death for authorizing the murder of a political opponent, in a move that many believe was done under the directives of then military ruler, General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq.

He was the founder of the incumbent ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).

His daughter Benazir Bhutto also served twice as prime minister.

Pakistan Peoples Party and some legal experts insist that the death sentence to Bhutto was politically-motivated and under pressure from the military ruler.

“President Asif Ali Zardari signed the reference to revisit the case of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and give its opinion on the death sentence awarded to Pakistan’s first directly elected Prime Minister by the Lahore High Court and subsequently upheld by the Supreme Court in March 1979 in a split verdict,” presidential spokesman, Farhatullah Babar, said.

Spokesperson, Farhatullah Babar, said that the reference will now be sent to the Supreme Court by the law Ministry.

Early this week the federal Cabinet authorized the President to send a Reference to the Supreme Court on this subject, he said.

The Pakistani Constitution says if the President considers that it is desirable to obtain the opinion of the Supreme Court on any question of law, which he considers of public importance, he may refer the question to the Supreme Court for consideration”.

“The Supreme Court shall consider a question so referred and report its opinion on the question to the President,” a constitutional provision says.

The former Prime Minister was executed on April 4, 1979, despite appeals by the world leaders and amid serious reservations by international jurists about the legal propriety of the death sentence, the Presidential spokesman said in a statement.