Bilawal fears ‘martial law’ if larger bench not formed

F.P. Report
LARKANA: Foreign Minister and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has warned of deepening ‘constitutional crisis’ if larger bench is not constituted to hear polls delay case, fearing that it would lead to martial law in the country, on Monday.
Talking to journalists in Larkana, the PPP chairman said that what is happening on the matter of elections was in front of the nation and the country, urging the judiciary to ask three judges about it. Bilawal Bhutto noted that the criticism of higher judiciary by the judges is historical, saying that the fellow judges have also expressed ‘lack of confidence’ on the three-member bench, hearing a petition by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) against the postponement of Punjab elections.
The foreign minister urged Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial to constitute a larger bench as per the Constitution, saying that judges who were caught consulting with the opposition – Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) – should not be part of the bench. He feared that if larger bench would not be formed then a ‘constitutional crisis’ will be emerged, which will lead towards ‘martial law’ in the country. “A nine-member bench has reduced to three judges,” he said, adding that the nation will remember chief justice if larger bench is not formed.
He also lambasted Imran Khan, saying that the PTI chairman was chief polling agent of former dictator General Pervez Musharraf. “Remnants of every political dictator have landed himself in PTI,” he added. He alleged that Imran Khan decided to release terrorists from jail and due to his decisions, nation is facing terrorism again. However, he vowed, the government will once again confront the terrorists and defeat them.
Meanwhile, PPP Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari also said that the third generation of the Bhutto family was awaiting justice from the Supreme Court for the “judicial murder” of former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.
In a message ahead of the 44th martyrdom day anniversary of the ex-PM, set to be marked tomorrow (Tuesday), the foreign minister said Zulfikar’s “judicial murder” was a “black spot” on the judicial system. The PPP chairman said that the presidential reference regarding the judicial murder of the prime minister who gave the country a “unanimous Constitution” has been pending in the Supreme Court for the past 12 years.
“During these 4,382 days, our justice system did not have even a minute to listen to Bhutto shaheed’s plea. How many more generations of the Bhutto family will have to wait to get justice?” he asked. The PPP chief said that history has brought so much proof in favour of Bhutto’s innocence that even his worst enemies now have to say that the “‘Quaid-e-Awam’ suffered the gravest injustice”.
“I appeal to the Supreme Court that the presidential reference sent by President Asif Ali Zardari under Article 186 on April 2, 2011, should be fixed for early hearing.” Paying glowing tribute to Bhutto, the PPP chairman said that under his leadership, Pakistan crossed many milestones in political, diplomatic, economic, defence and social terms.
“Raising the political consciousness among the people, giving the country’s first unanimous Constitution, making agricultural and economic reforms, starting the nuclear program, establishing Pakistan-China friendship and making Pakistan the diplomatic capital of the Islamic world are few examples of Bhutto Shaheed’s achievements,” he pointed out. He said that the occasion of Bhutto’s martyrdom anniversary is a day of renewal of the pledge that PPP would continue upholding and would not give up at any cost the democracy, the Constitution of 1973, the parliamentary supremacy, rights of workers, farmers, minorities and women, as well as tolerance and equality in the society. “Bhuttoism will continue to remain a beacon of light to guide us, and we will continue to struggle to provide ‘roti, kapra aur makan’ (bread, cloth, and home) to every Pakistani by establishing a strong democratic system based on justice and fairness,” he pledged.