ISLAMABAD – President Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday formally approved five questions of law framed by the Law Ministry to be clubbed with the presidential reference in the Zulfikar Ali Bhutto case.
Earlier, the federal cabinet approved the five legal questions and later Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani sent them as his advice to the Presidency for formal approval. A well-placed source told Pakistan Today on Wednesday that the law secretary would submit the legal questions in the Supreme Court today (Thursday).
The source said the five questions were:
(i) Whether the trial of former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was a violation of fundamental human rights?
(ii) Whether awarding a death sentence on the evidence of an approver is not a violation of Islamic laws?
(iii) The case record has revealed that the judges and the judgement both were biased. Now the question is that whether such a trial could be upheld?
(iv) Whether the sentence was correct under the circumstances, incidents and the case framed?
(v) Whether Bhutto’s trial was in contrast to the fundamental rights and the concerned articles?
Briefing reporters after the cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, Information Minister Firdous Ashiq Awan said during the meeting the questions of law were discussed in detail. She said former law minister Babar Awan, the counsel in the Bhutto case, was given a special invitation to brief the cabinet on the legal and constitutional aspects of the reference as well as the proceedings in the Supreme Court.
Firdous said Babar informed the cabinet that proceedings of the reference in the Supreme Court were progressing satisfactorily. Babar said the objective of the reference was to correct the error of judgement because it was a “judicial murder” of the chairman of a premier political party. She said Babar also highlighted the international significance and history of such high profile cases before the cabinet. Firdous said it was PPP’s objective that the superior judiciary should undo the wrong done to ZA Bhutto.
President approves 5 law questions in ZAB case
