I am being punished for nuclear programme, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto trial docs revealed

[Naveed Yaseen]

HAMID NAWAZ
LAHORE (May 08 2009): Former Prime Minister and founder PPP chairman Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had stated before Lahore High Court (LHC) that he was being punished for declining to bow down to American agenda to abandon Pakistan's nuclear programme.

This revelation was made by chairman Judicial Activism Panel Muhammad Azhar Siddique advocate, after completing three-day inspection of record of murder case of Z. A. Bhutto and said the statement had been made public for the first time since the conclusion of trial in 1978.

"I was told in August, 1976 by Dr Henry Kissinger, US Secretary of State that if you Prime Minister do not cancel, modify or postpone the Reprocessing Plant Augment, we will make a horrible example of you. For my country's sake, for the sake of people of Pakistan, I did not succumb to that black-mail and threat", Bhutto stated before a full bench of the Lahore High Court who ultimately gave him death sentence.

ZAB also termed all proceedings illegal and blamed acting CJ for being biased saying the bench was observing double standards in the case and boycotted the court proceedings in protest. "My view is that you cannot have one law for the prosecution and another law for me."

"The prosecution witnesses have been given an opportunity to improve their statements," he said. "But when it comes to my applications, they are heard in chambers. I am told that I must argue the applications myself, the other co-accused are not present, the prosecution is not present. This is an illegal trial."

Bhutto' s different applications were heard on 18th and 22nd December 1977 in Chambers and because of unfair and illegal trial and bias of the Acting Chief Justice and Bench he had withdrawn his lawyers from the trial and had boycotted the proceedings, Bhutto said.

Bhutto also declined to sign the statement under section 342 CrPC when he was asked to do so in the court, because he said that he was not participating in the proceedings. Statement under section 342 is considered an important piece of evidence while deciding the trial and missing of accused' s signature had put a big question mark on the final outcome of trail, advocate Syed Sajjad Haider said.

"Since I had been assured that I would be given further sufficient opportunity to speak on the main issues of malafides and bias, I come prepared to speak on those two main issues at the relevant time. This was on the 25th of January 1978. However, when I came into the courtroom, much to my surprise, I found that the open proceedings of the previous day had been suddenly fixed into secret proceedings. I immediately expressed my surprise and astonishment", Bhutto stated.

"Despite the assurances that I would be given full opportunity to give my reasons for hearing this fabricated case against me. These are some of the patent illegalities. In view of these patent illegalities, this trial is void, it is illegal and it is a denial of justice," Bhutto said.

http://www.brecorder.com/index.php?id=35955