Description

I have reproduced the statement given by Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto in the Supreme Court of Pakistan during the murder trial of Mr. Ahmed Raza Kasuri. The statement is divided in four chapters each one covers his deliberation each day in front the Judges of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

Shaheed Bhutto's initial trial began on October 24th on charges of "conspiracy to murder" Ahmed Raza Kasuri. The prosecution produced a witness in Masood Mahmood, who had been the chief of the Federal Security Force under Shaheed Bhutto. A very questionable and dubious witness, Mr. Mahmood testified that Bhutto had ordered the killing of Kasuri. Four men who were arrested and charged as Kasuri's assassins testified to confirm Mahmood's testimony. It was evident that the army had fabricated the evidence and installed the Justice Maulvi Mushtaq Ali an old enemy of Bhutto as Chief Justice of Lahore High Court. The Lahore High Court sentenced Bhutto to death on March 18th 1978; he was also ordered to pay Rs. 25,000 in fines or face six months rigorous imprisonment.

While this was going on General Zia published a white paper accusing Bhutto of rigging the 1977 elections, the Supreme Court of Pakistan agreed to hear Bhutto's appeal. Chief Justice S. Anwarul Haq adjourned the court until the end of July 1978, supposedly because 5 of the 9 appeals court judges were willing to overrule the Lahore verdict. One of the pro-Bhutto judges was due to retire in July. Chief Justice S. Anwarul Haq presided over the trial, despite being close to Zia, even serving as Acting President when Zia was out of the country. Bhutto's lawyers managed to secure for Bhutto the right to conduct his own defense before the Supreme Court. On December 18, 1978, Bhutto made his appearance in public before a packed courtroom in Rawalpindi and addressed the court for four days continuously. This book is based on his deliberations. On February 6, 1979 the Supreme Court, in an ethnic split, upheld the verdict by a narrow 4-3 vote. Bhutto appealed to the court to review its decision, but the plea was rejected on March 24, 1979.

Now most of those who were involved including the generals and judges regret their support for Zia and admit their mistake. If you go through these pages you will yourself find that Bhutto was framed and he has given more then one reasons for the judges to believe his innocence.



Sani H. Panhwar
August 3, 2008
Lawndale California