ISLAMABAD

THE SUPREME COURT OF PAKISTAN has eliminated life time disqualification thus removing last hurdle in the way of Nawaz Sharif. The verdict was announced by majority of 6-1. Justice Yahya Afridi however gave a dissenting note and differed with the verdict.

After much deliberation, the Supreme Court of Pakistan Monday ended lifetime disqualification of lawmakers, recalling its earlier order of disbarring politicians from running for office ever.

SC seeking to fix history in ZA Bhutto reference: CJP Isa

CJP makes these remarks during hearing of a presidential reference pertaining to death sentence of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto

Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa on Monday said that the Supreme Court is currently looking at one person’s honour and seeking to fix the history “as it wants to set a better example” in a presidential reference pertaining to a death sentence awarded to former premier Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

The CJP made these remarks during the hearing of the presidential reference seeking to review the death sentence awarded to the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) founder.

The apex court larger bench — led by CJP Isa and comprising Justice Sardar Tariq Masood, Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Yahya Afridi, Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhel, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi and Justice Musarrat Hilali — resumed hearing of the presidential reference seeking to revisit the 1979 “controversial” death sentence.

Bhutto was hanged to death on April 4, 1979, in the Rawalpindi district jail in a murder case. His party, however, termed the capital punishment to Bhutto as “judicial murder”.

Former president Asif Ali Zardari, on April 2, 2011, approached the apex court through a presidential reference under Article 186 of the Constitution to seek its opinion on revisiting the trial of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) founder.