ISLAMABAD – The Supreme Court is poised to address a 12-year-old reference concerning the contentious death sentence handed to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the founder of PPP and former prime minister, back in 1978.
A larger bench consisting of nine members, led by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa and including several esteemed justices, is slated to take up this reference at 11:30 PM today (Tuesday).
In a communication issued by the top court, it was announced that the proceedings of the Presidential Reference No 1 of 2011 would be broadcast live and accessible through the official website and YouTube channel of the Supreme Court.
The decision to schedule this case was executed under Section 2(1) of the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act, 2023, by a committee composed of CJP Isa, Justice Masood, and Justice Ahsan.
Earlier, a two-judge panel, comprising Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, was established to determine the live telecast aspect of the reference.
The genesis of this hearing traces back to April 2, 2011, when former President Asif Ali Zardari filed a presidential reference under Article 186 of the Constitution, urging the apex court to reconsider the trial of the PPP’s founder.
Previously, an 11-member larger bench of the apex court, presided over by former Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, conducted five hearings on the presidential reference, the last one taking place on November 11, 2022.
Ahead of this pivotal hearing, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari sought a live broadcast of the reference, filing a civil miscellaneous application in the Supreme Court.
Bilawal emphasized the importance of a live telecast to ensure the public’s access to these proceedings. During a political gathering in Kohat district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Bilawal expressed hope for justice to rectify historical wrongs and shed light on the truth behind Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s demise.
