Pakistan: ISI interference in judicial matters is a proven fact, Bhutto’s hanging is a case in point

Convictions by courts, derecognition of Pakistan Tehreek Insaaf (PTI) party, and rampant rigging during February 8 polls were all orchestrated by the Pakistan Army, former Prime Minister Imran Khan has often alleged. On Tuesday, Imran alleged that his wife, Bushra Bibi had been poisoned at Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir’s behest.

In the run-up to the February 8 elections in Pakistan, Imran was convicted in three cases in less than a week. This was all the handiwork of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) as General Asim has ordered his annihilation, as Imran has often claimed. He openly blames the Pakistan Army for orchestrating his ouster from PM’s post two years ago.

Earlier, at one time, former Nawaz Sharif was on the wrong side of the military establishment and was convicted of corruption in many cases in quick succession. The same Sharif became a favourite of Miltablishment a couple of years in 2022, and these convictions were overturned just as quickly once he returned from London in October 2023. General Asim’s benevolence towards Sharif has also led to judicial relief for his two sons who too were living abroad, it has been said tongue in cheek in most Pakistan newspapers.

Incidentally, Pakistan’s first elected PM Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was hanged 45 years ago on April 4, 1979. A month ago, the Pakistan Supreme Court had said that Bhutto was denied a fair trial. Incidentally, Bhutto’s hanging is attributed to military dictator General Zia ul Haq who ensured that Bhutto was condemned to death row by the Lahore High Court.

Interference in judicial matters and dictating verdicts to judges is a norm for the Pakistan Army for many decades now. For ensuring verdicts as desired by the Pakistan Army chief, ISI operatives play the role of frontal executioners of this will, six Islamabad High Court judges wrote to CJP Qazi Faez Isa some days ago. A seven-judge SC Bench has started  hearing after taking suo motu notice of the allegations levelled by the IHC judges.

It is worth mentioning that interference by ISI ensures constitution of benches as mandated by it. The judges are chosen by the ISI for hearing chosen cases to have chosen outcomes, and all this is being debated these days on TV channels and in newspaper columns all over Pakistan. It is being said widely that it is not in politics alone that ISI interference and intimidation works, the judiciary is also not immune.

After Bhutto’s trial and conviction by the LHC, the Pakistan Supreme Court had upheld the death sentence by a 4-3 margin. At that time, the trial at the apex court was to be conducted by a nine-judge Bench. However, General Zia ensured that two judges, who were considered beyond extraneous influence, were removed by mounting pressure on the then CJP Sheikh Anwarul Haq. Bhutto’s trial at the apex court was over on March 25, 1979, and within 10 days, he was hanged.

During his trial at the LHC, Bhutto told his daughter Benazir Bhutto: “They are going to kill me. It doesn’t matter what evidence you or anybody comes up with. They are going to murder me for a murder I did not commit.’’

In many Islamic nations, such things have been recorded during the past few decades. Bhutto was hanged at 51, and his daughter Benazir was assassinated at 54. Others who have lost their lives in the name of Islam include Saudi King Faisal (March 1975), Bangladesh founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (August 1975) and Egypt’s Anwar Sadat (1981), to name a few.