In a thorough ruling on the presidential reference pertaining to former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s execution, the Supreme Court of Pakistan acknowledged that an innocent person was hanged without a fair trial.
The 48-page ruling was written by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, with supplementary remarks from Justices Sardar Tariq Masood and Mansoor Ali Shah. The ruling draws attention to the fact that Bhutto’s trial took place during a period of martial law, jeopardizing the courts’ constitutional integrity.
The ruling highlights the fact that martial law was in effect throughout Bhutto’s trial and that the judiciary lacked constitutional authority. According to the ruling, “the country and the courts were prisoners of martial law at that time,” with judges running the courts having sworn allegiance.
