The Rise and Fall of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
Open The MagazineApr 04, 2021
Pakistan High Court: Ex-Prime Minister Was Denied Fair Trial
The Facts
The Pakistani Supreme Court has ruled that the court case against former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in 1979, which led to his conviction and subsequent hanging, was not a fair trial.
The trial of Bhutto — who founded the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), which is now run by his grandson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari — was brought against him by the then-military government run by General Zia-ul-Haq.
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.
Nerd narrative
There's a 21% chance of civil war in Pakistan before 2036, according to the Metaculus prediction community.