ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif referred to judicial murder of late Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and said his murder took place on April 4, 1979 and on same date today, unfortunate episode was repeated with decision of Supreme Court in polls delay case.

Taking part in National Assembly session, he equating two decisions said today, murder of justice took place which was highly regrettable. He said in Cabinet meeting, they had demanded that reference over judicial murder of late Prime Minister, which had been pending for last 12 years, should be taken up and decided by full court. He said world knew that ZAB case was ˜judicial murder. One of former judges, who had decided case, had accepted it in his memories, he added.

He lauded late ZAB and said he was among founders of 1973 Constitution and his historic contribution would always be remembered. He asked House to pray for departed soul of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. Meanwhile, Cabinet rejected Supreme Court’s “Unanimous verdict” on case pertaining to postponement of election in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, sources told.

Development came during Cabinet’s meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held after three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar as members announced apex court’s verdict on matter which it had reserved day earlier.

Announcing verdict on plea filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf country’s top court declared Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision to postpone polls in Punjab and KP from April 30 to October 8 as ‘null and void’.

Supreme Court, in its verdict states that ECP’s order dated March 22, 2023 is declared to be unconstitutional, without lawful authority or jurisdiction, void ab-initio, of no legal effect and is hereby quashed. Government would raise its voice in Parliament regarding verdict, sources added. It was also decided in meeting that coalition parties in power will talk about apex court’s decision in Parliament, they added.

Published in The Daily National Courier, April, 05 2023

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