A nine-member larger bench of the Supreme Court is set to hear a long-pending presidential reference on Monday, seeking a review of the 1979 death sentence awarded to former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.
Chaired by Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa, the larger bench includes Justice Sardar Tariq Masood, Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Yahya Afridi, Justice Amin Ud Din Khan, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhel, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, and Justice Musarrat Hilali, who will preside over the hearing.
A day prior to the scheduled hearing, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) submitted written comments to the apex court, accompanied by additional documents such as transcripts and video recordings of various interviews.
The PPP’s comments included references from various books and details from an interview with former Chief Justice Naseem Hassan Shah.
The Supreme Court has been addressing the presidential reference, filed in 2011 by former President Asif Ali Zardari, under Article 186 of the Constitution. The reference seeks a reevaluation of the trial of PPP Founder Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, who was sentenced to death during the regime of former military ruler General (retired) Ziaul Haq.
Bhutto, the first elected prime minister of Pakistan, was accused of the murder of political rival Nawab Mohammed Ahmed Qasuri. Despite petitions and appeals for clemency from various Heads of States, Bhutto was hanged on April 4, 1979.
In the previous hearing on December 12, 2023, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah questioned the maintainability of the presidential reference, seeking assistance in determining the legal questions involved. The judge emphasized the need to concentrate on the constitutional aspects and the process of reopening the matter, if deemed appropriate.
