Pakistani President Zardari signs reference to revisit late leader Ali Bhutto case

[News_Editor]

Pakistani President Zardari signs reference to revisit late leader Ali Bhutto case

2011-04-02 05:11:39 GMT+7 (ICT)

ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN (BNO NEWS) -- Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday signed a reference to the Supreme Court to revisit the case of lat leader Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the state-run APP news agency reported.

Spokesperson Farhatullah Babar said that the reference will be sent to the Supreme Court to revisit the death sentence ruled against former President Ali Bhutto in 1978 for ordering the murder of a political rival.

On Monday, the Federal Cabinet unanimously approved to reopen the murder case against the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) founder and first directly elected Prime Minister.

Ali Bhutto was the fourth President of Pakistan from 1971 to 1973. He was also the Prime Minister from 1973 to 1977. He was convicted for ordering a political murder and hanged in 1979.

Under Bhutto's direction, the PPP party became the largest and most influential in the country. He was also known as "The Father of the Nuclear Program" and gave Pakistan its third Constitution.

However, the late Pakistani leader was also accused of human rights abuses and intimidation of opposition. His daughter, Benazir Bhutto was twice Prime Minister of Pakistan and wife of current President Zardari. She was shot dead in December 2007 in Rawalpindi while campaigning for the 2008 general election.

Firdous Ashiq Awan, Minister for Information and Broadcasting, said that the reopening in the case was also approved as "it was also Benazir Bhutto's wish that Supreme Court hold a judicial probe into Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto's murder."

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