Zulfikar Ali Bhutto

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto the founder of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), the largest and the most
influential political party in Pakistan had also served as the President of Pakistan from 1971 to
1973 and as Prime Minister from 1973 to 1977.

After General Zia declared Martial Law in the country on the 5th July 1977, Bhutto and members
of his cabinet were arrested by troops of General Zia. The constitution was suspended all
assemblies were dissolved, civil rights also stood suspended the normal activities of civil court
were restricted. In a way there was no Rule of Law in Pakistan.

Bhutto was arrested on 3rd September 1977 on charges of “conspiracy to murder” under
Chapter XVI of Pakistan Penal Code 1860, for authorizing the murder of a political opponent
who was a 35-year-old politician by the name of Nawab Mohammed Ahmed Qasuri, in March
1974.

It was alleged that Bhuto had targeted an assault on Nawab Mohammed’s car on 11th
November 1974. Bhutto was released within 10 days after his arrest on 13th September 1977
after, Justice K.M.A. Samdani of the Lahore High Court, found the evidence “contradictory and
incomplete”. Justice Samdani had to pay for this; he was immediately removed from the court
and placed at the disposal of the law ministry. Fearing another arrest, Bhutto named his wife,
Nusrat, the president of the Pakistan People's Party.

Three days later on 17th September 1977 General Zia arrested Bhutto again with other number
and leaders of PPP on the same charges, this time under “martial law”, and moreover Bhutto
was disqualified them from contesting in elections. Bhutto’s trial began on October 24th October
1977. Bhutto was held in detention for a month. Zia pledged that new elections would be held
within 90 days but he kept postponing the elections time again.

Bhutto was tried for Qatl-e-Amd (murder) under Section 300 of The Pakistan Penal Code which
reads as “Qatl-e-Amd: Whoever, with the intention of causing death.

Masood Mahmood, the Director General of the Federal Investigation Agency, testified against
Bhutto. In his testimony, he claimed Bhutto had ordered Kasuri’s assassination and that four
members of the Federal Investigation Agency had organized the ambush on Bhutto's orders.
The four alleged assassins were arrested and later confessed. They were brought into court as
“co-accused”. Bhutto’s defense challenged the prosecution. During the defense's cross-
examination of witnesses, the bench often interrupted questioning.

When Bhutto began his testimony on 25th January 1978, Chief Justice Maulvi Mustaq closed
the courtroom to all observers. Bhutto demanded a retrial, accusing the Chief Justice of
biasness. The court refused his demand. Bhutto was sentenced under Section 302 (a), when
the Court found that the former President and Prime Minister was guilty under Section 300.
The Supreme Court issued a guilty verdict; a decision reached by a 4: 3. Chief Justice Anwar-ul-
Haq in his eight-hundred pages judgment dismissed all allegations of errors and illegalities of
the Lahore High Court’s trial as totally irrelevant to the verdict and confirmed the death
sentence.

On 18th March 1978, Bhutto was declared guilty of murder and sentenced to death. Bhutto was
transferred to a cell in Rawalpindi central jail and his family appealed on his behalf, the hearing
commenced in May before the Supreme Court.