Presidential reference on Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto murder case set for hearing after 11 years

The presidential reference on Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto murder case has been set for hearing in the Supreme Court after 11 years. Former President Asif Ali Zardari filed a presidential reference in the Supreme Court in April 2011.

A 9-member larger bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Qazi Faiz Isa will hear the Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto case on December 12.

Former President Asif Ali Zardari filed a presidential reference in the Supreme Court in April 2011.

So far 6 hearings have been held in the Supreme Court on the presidential reference related to Zulfiqar Bhutto.

The first hearing on the Presidential Reference was held on January 2, 2012, while the last hearing was held on November 12, 2012.

The first 5 hearings on the presidential reference were conducted by the 11-member larger bench of the Supreme Court headed by former Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry.

The last hearing on the presidential reference was conducted by a 9-member larger bench.

The Presidential Reference on former Prime Minister Zulfiqar Bhutto is based on five questions. The first question of the presidential reference is that the trial of Zulfikar Bhutto’s murder was in accordance with the basic human rights listed in the constitution.

The second question is whether the decision of the Supreme Court to sentence Zulfikar Bhutto to death will be applicable to the Supreme Court and all High Courts under Article 189 as a judicial precedent. If not, what will be the consequences of this decision? The third question is whether it was a fair decision to sentence Zulfikar Ali Bhutto to death. Was the decision to sentence Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto to death not biased?

In the fourth question, it has been asked whether the death sentence given to Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto is correct in the light of Quranic orders. While the fifth question is whether the evidence given against Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and the statements of the witnesses were enough to convict him?