Supreme Court panel to decide on live telecast of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto reference. The Supreme Court of Pakistan has appointed a two-judge panel, comprising Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, to determine the live telecast feasibility of the Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto reference.
This reference, initiated by former President Asif Ali Zardari in 2011, seeks the court’s opinion on the conviction of the late Prime Minister Z.A. Bhutto.
The committee’s mandate includes deciding whether the proceedings should be broadcast live and if the recordings should be made available post the reference’s conclusion.
The committee is slated to submit its report to the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Qazi Faez Isa, by December 11.
Should the committee’s recommendations be endorsed, it would mark the second instance in the country’s judicial history where a case is broadcast live.
The first occurrence transpired in September during the hearings on petitions challenging the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act 2023.
A pivotal development is scheduled for December 12 when a nine-member larger bench of the Supreme Court, presided over by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, is set to convene to deliberate on the Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto reference.
This bench includes esteemed justices such as Sardar Tariq Masood, Mansoor Ali Shah, Yahya Afridi, Amin-Ud-Din Khan, Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, and Musarrat Hilali.
The historical context of this case indicates that Zardari approached the Supreme Court eleven years ago through a presidential reference, exercising Article 186 (1) and (2) of the Constitution. These articles empower the president to refer questions of public importance to the Supreme Court for its opinion.
The last hearing of the case transpired in January 2012, overseen by an 11-member bench headed by then-Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.
Meanwhile, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has actively engaged in the legal proceedings, chairing a meeting with the party’s legal experts to discuss the reference.
He has also filed an application with the apex court, expressing his intent to become a party to the presidential reference.
Bilawal’s involvement extends beyond legalities. He draws parallels with a UK case, R versus Mattan, emphasizing the importance of rectifying miscarriages of justice, even posthumously.
Bilawal is clear that his aim is not monetary compensation but a correction of historical records, envisioning a victory for the people, democracy, and the judicial system.
As Supreme Court panel to decide on live telecast of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto reference, the Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto reference stands as a pivotal moment in Pakistan’s legal history, with potential far-reaching implications.
