Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Wednesday hinted that his party may pardon jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan if he is convicted by a military court.
Defense Minister Khawaja Asif and other top officials had last month said the 71-year-old Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder would face military trial for allegedly inciting his supporters to attack military installations. Maybe, because his workers had committed violence. His arrest on May 9, 2023.
Speaking to reporters here, 36-year-old Bilawal was asked about his stand on Khan’s military trial and he replied in measured words.
“We need to assess the evidence first. After all, we have the power to grant pardon to the President,” he said, adding that his party is against the death penalty.
His father Asif Ali Zardari, being the outgoing president, has the power to grant pardons to condemned prisoners who have exhausted their right to appeal against sentence.
When the former external affairs minister talked about presidential pardons, he had in mind his father’s pardon power, although it was premature for the Army to speculate about Khan’s trial and punishment.
Bilawal also talked about constitutional amendments. When asked about the proposed amendments and their deadline of October 25, he said, “If the amendments are made before October 25, the matter can be resolved peacefully. Although they can be done later, it may lead to conflict situations.
He further said that his party will not abandon the matter related to the Constitutional Court and promised to complete it.
“We have already faced a lot of delays, our demands go back to 2006 and are part of our manifesto,” he said.
He noted that the term of office of the head of the Constitutional Court would be three years and expressed his opposition to the establishment of military courts, stressing that the justification for the Federal Constitutional Court lies in the historical precedents of the Supreme Court.
Last month, a Pakistani high court had disposed of a petition regarding military prosecution of Khan after it was informed that no decision had been taken by the federal government.
The former cricketer-turned-politician had filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court against handing over his case to military authorities.