Bhutto The President
I wonder if it would not be appropriate and to put the record straight for the posterity that the Supreme Court of Pakistan also examines the legal aspect of ZAB taking over the country as its President on December 20th 1971. Apparently the PPP had participated in the general elections held in the ‘united’ Pakistan in 1970 and lost in it. No fresh elections were held thereafter in the remaining Pakistan. After the fall of Dacca, the sentiments of the people were highly volatile and quite a few of them held ZAB responsible for the secession. Had there were any elections held at that monumental period of our national history the results could have been any body’s guess. However, ZAB was sworn in as the President and the first and only civilian Martial Law Administrator ostensibly on the result of the 1970 elections that he and his party had lost.
Legally speaking, was his taking over of the country lawful and should it not be examined now along with his judicial murder case already under the hearing by the Supreme Court of Pakistan?
Col. Riaz Jafri (Retd)
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