ISLAMABAD:A nine-member bench of Supreme Court on Monday adjourned the hearing presidential reference pertaining to the sentence of Zulifkar Ali Bhuttoof ZA Bhutto for tomorrow.
The bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa heard the reference. Justice Tariq Masood, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Justice Hasan Azhar Rizvi and Justice Musarrat Hilali were also part of the bench.
During the course of proceedings, the amicus curiae Khalid Javed and Salahuddin completed their arguments before the bench.
Khalid Javed said that he has also filed written arguments into the matter. He argued that trial of Z.A. Bhutto was not run transparently. He said that the top court couldn’t re-open the case but it could declare that the trial was not run in a fair way.
Justice Mansoor Ali Shah remarked that the top court couldn’t go into the merits of Bhutto case. The CJP, however, remarked that the top court was bound to give an opinion on presidential ref
erence.
Justice Isa remarked that Z.A. Bhutto judgment was the sole verdict of the history of criminal cases which spreads to 935 pages. He further remarked that the top court could view the judgment of any court if there was a question of the independency of judges in concern case.
The CJP said that we have to correct our direction, how it could be done. There should be legal reference so that we may view this case, he said.
The court adjourned further hearing on the reference till tomorrow. It may be mentioned here that former president Asif Ali Zardari has moved the Z.A Bhutto reference to SC in 2011.