Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto (ZAB), the first elected Prime Minister (PM) of Pakistan, was executed in the Central Jail Rawalpindi located in Chaklala on April 04, 1979. It was a very close 4 to 3 split decision by a full-court bench of Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP). To erase the memory of this heinous injustice the prison was dismantled in the year 1988.

The area was converted into a park across from the Kutchery. A new jail was built to replace the old on Adiala Road, a few kilometres away, in 1986. A clean fresh-start was expected with the demolition of the old prison and building of the new. But unfortunately, in the land of the pure the more the things change more they remain the same.

Buildings alone cannot correct the wrongs; much more effort is required for meaningful course correction. In March 2024 SCP publicly admitted that ZAB was denied a fair trial. Again, no remedial measures were suggested by the court to avoid such blatant abuse of justice in the future.

Bhagat Singh, the freedom fighter, was executed in March 1931 at the Borstal Jail Lahore. Till today he is remembered as the martyr of freedom. There was a motion to name the Shadman roundabout after him as it was the place where he had to face the gallows for his cause.

The Borstal Jail was a massive structure, only the Camp Jail remains at the location while the District Jail was built at Kot Lakhpat in 1967. ZAB was imprisoned in this jail during his trial in the Lahore High Court (LHC). For every hearing he was driven to the court.

Fearing public reaction, the prosecution tried level best for jail trial, but........

© Business Recorder