SC rules that Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was not given a fair trial

The Supreme Court of Pakistan declared that the late Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto did not receive a “fair trial” in the case leading to his execution in 1979. The nine-member bench, led by Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa, released its opinion after nearly 12 years of reviewing a 2011 presidential reference filed by former President Asif Ali Zardari seeking a reevaluation of Bhutto’s sentence.

Chief Justice Isa emphasized that Bhutto’s trial did not meet the constitutional requirement of due process, stating that the proceedings lacked fairness and adherence to fundamental rights. The court also highlighted that, at the time, the relevant constitutional provisions were not in place, but the principles of a fair trial were always part of legal practice.

The court, however, clarified its limitations, stating that it couldn’t reexamine the evidence in its advisory jurisdiction. The decision comes after thorough consideration of questions raised in the reference, ultimately concluding that Bhutto’s trial fell short of constitutional standards. This development marks a crucial reevaluation of a case that Bhutto’s party had previously labeled as a “judicial murder.”