Pakistan court indicts jailed ex-PM Imran Khan in state secrets case
Al JazeeraDEC 2023
Pakistan High Court: Ex-Prime Minister Was Denied Fair Trial
Image copyright: Bettmann/Contributor/Bettmann via Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
While the life of Bhutto was tragic, he was likely not the martyr his ardent supporters have made him out to be. While the military was certainly what brought him down, he was once a member of the military-run political class due to his hunger for power. He also played a role in the destruction of Bangladesh and the deaths of 1M Bengalis — proof that he was not a saint with only good intentions.
Establishment-critical narrative
The fact that it took Pakistan's justice system 44 years to admit its wrongdoing should be a tell-all. Bhutto's hanging was nothing other than a political assassination called for by the then-president and sanctioned by the corrupt courts. This long overdue apology also means little given that the same regime is still targeting civilians and politicians who go against its orthodoxy, especially the currently imprisoned Imran Khan.