ISLAMABAD : The Supreme Court (SC) has constituted a larger bench to hear Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's case on May 2 - the case was initiated with presidential reference.The court adjourned the case till May 2.
A larger bench will then begin the hearing of the reference. A three-member SC bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammed Chaudhry is hearing the presidentialreference moved by President Asif Ali Zardari.It should be mentioned here that in the last hearing of the reference, the apex court sought clear-cutquestions of the law relating to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s case from the Presidency. The court directed the government’s counsel, former federal law minister Babar Awan to re-file the reference Thursday with specific questions on which the President sought the court’s opinion.Babar Awan presented five questions to the court, seeking its opinion to whether or not Bhutto’s trialstood in violation of human rights.The court has asked if it not a violation of Islamic law to punish someone on evidence by an approver.One question is how this trial can be transparent with the existing abundant bias of judges.Another question is whether the punishment awarded to ZAB was appropriate in accordance with the case and then circumstances.Babar Awan asked the court, "Was this trial in conflict with the article of the Constitution relating to human rights?"Talking to the media Wednesday, Information Minister Firdous Ashiq Awan said that the questions would now be made a part of the reference filed by President Zardari under Article 168 of the constitution.The apex court appointed at least ten amicus curie to assist the court regarding the Bhutto reference.These assistants are Latif Afridi, Khalid Anwer, Makhdoom Ali Khan, Aitzaz Ahsan, Justice (retd.) Fakhruddin G. Ibrahim, Ali Ahmed Kurd, Tariq Mehmood, S. M. Zafar, Abdul Hafeez Pirzada and Barrister Zahoor ul Haq.PPI