LARKANA: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari expressed his concern that failing to form a larger bench to hear the election delay case could result in a constitutional crisis that may lead to an imposition of an emergency or martial law in Pakistan.
Talking to media in Larkana on Monday, the PPP chairman emphasized the importance of forming a larger bench to prevent such a situation and expressed fear that the ongoing struggle for power in Lahore could lead to ego-based decision making.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari stated that history might remember Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial as a CJP who led the country towards dictatorship by allowing three judges to make decisions, and not as a respectable leader.
Answering a question about tomorrow’s expected verdict of the Supreme Court, Bilawal Bhutto said, “If it is the verdict of three individuals, its impact will be different. If it is the verdict of a larger bench, it will have different impression.”
He reached the Larkana on the eve of the 44th anniversary of the martyrdom of former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.
The PPP chairman expressed his hope for justice for the Bhutto family from the Supreme Court. He referred to the “judicial murder” of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto as a “black spot” on the judicial system and called for the presidential reference regarding his death to be heard by the Supreme Court.
Bilawal Bhutto lamented the fact that 12 years had passed with no resolution, asking how many more generations of the Bhutto family would have to wait for justice. He highlighted the many achievements of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, including the country’s first unanimous Constitution and the establishment of Pakistan-China friendship, among others. The foreign minister also emphasized the PPP’s commitment to democracy, the Constitution, and the rights of all citizens, and pledged to continue the struggle for a strong democratic system based on justice and fairness.
