President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday signed a reference for Supreme Court to revisit the case of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and give its opinion on the death sentence awarded to him.
The President signed the reference in the presence of Law Minister Babar Awan and Sindh home minister Zulfikar Mirza, under Article 186 of the Constitution. Secretary to President Asif Hayat and spokesperson Farhatullah Babar were also present, a press release said.
Spokesperson Farhatullah Babar said that the reference would now be sent to the Supreme Court by the law Ministry. Early this week the federal Cabinet authorised the President to send a Reference to the Supreme Court on this subject, he said.
Article 186 of the Constitution states: (1) "If, at any time, the President considers that it is desirable to obtain the opinion of the Supreme Court on any question of law which he considers of public importance, he may refer the question to the Supreme Court for consideration". Clause 2 of the same Article states: "The Supreme Court shall consider a question so referred and report its opinion on the question to the President". Farhatullah Babar said that the PPP had never intended to seek revenge but it wanted to put right a historic wrong and thereby vindicate the position of the founding Chairman of the Party.