KARACHI: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Tuesday said that the special court’s verdict declaring former military ruler (r) General Pervez Musharraf punishable by death in the high treason case against him was a “historic” one, terming democracy ‘the best revenge’.
While speaking to reporters in Ghotki, the PPP chairman further added that the hope and chances of courts delivering democratic rulings has risen due to the decision against the former dictator.
“In the past, our institutions always stood with non-democratic forces. After this verdict, we can hope that our courts will side with justice and democracy for all days to come,” he added.
Asked if the politicians who had stood by Musharraf during martial law in the country should also be meted, Bilawal said: “There is a lot of debate as to the scope of the treason law and whether it should [have included] the 1999 incident [coup] or the 2007 incident. But we should talk about what is in front of us […] It is a historic decision.”
He, however, added that the PPP will “carefully read” the detailed verdict, once it is made public.
Although he hailed the bails granted to the PPP leadership, including Asif Ali Zardari, Faryal Talpur, Khursheed Shah and Agha Siraj Durrani, Bilawal lamented the long-standing cases, including that of his mother Benazir Bhutto’s assassination that remain pending in courts and demanded that they be put to their conclusion as well.
“All the players of PPP are out now, we will struggle together and this government will go home soon,” he declared.
On Tuesday, a three-member bench of a special court, in a verdict termed as symbolic by the country, handed Musharraf the death penalty in a treason case that spanned six years. The former president has been convicted for abrogating the Constitution and imposing an emergency in the country in 2007.
Soon afterwards, the PPP chairman also took to Twitter to share his jubilation.
“Jiye Bhutto,” he wrote with an artwork of his mother at a 2007 rally in Liaquat Bagh, the location of her assassination.
It may be noted here that Bilawal has often accused Musharraf of ‘killing’ his mother.
