Pakistan: Information on the current status of November and December 1992 promulgations, regarding bail since Zardari's release from prison
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 April 1993 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | PAK13712 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Pakistan: Information on the current status of November and December 1992 promulgations, regarding bail since Zardari's release from prison, 1 April 1993, PAK13712, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6acaf38.html [accessed 4 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Information on the above-mentioned specific subject is currently unavailable to the DIRB in Ottawa.
Mr. Asif Ali Zardari, the husband of Benazir Bhutto, former prime minister of Pakistan, was released after spending more than 27 months in prison, allegedly for murder and terrorist acts (The Economist 19 Feb. 1993). It is worth noting, however, that Mr. Zardari's release was made possible by the repeal of a controversial presidential decree which had prevented ordinary courts from reviewing the judgements of the special courts (Ibid.).
Prior to the repeal of the decree, the Code of Criminal Procedures was amended by presidential ordinance in November 1992 to withdraw the right to bail in serious cases when the trial lasted for more than two years (Country Reports 1992 1993, 1163). Another amendment was made to the November 1992 amendment in December 1992 which ensured that no courts other than the special court may grant bail to any accused person being tried before such a court (Ibid.). The special courts were set up in 1975 to try terrorists (The Economist 21 Dec. 1992). Commenting on the government amendments, Mr. Hamid Khan, president of the Lahore High Court Bar Association, said that as a result of the two presidential ordinances, "the High Court can no longer grant bail, accept harbeas corpus petitions or quash proceedings in the special courts (Ibid.).
Additional and/or corroborative information could not be found among the sources currently available to the DIRB in Ottawa.
References
Country Reports on Human Rights for 1992. 1993. U.S. Department of State. Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office.
The Economist [New York]. 19 February 1993. "Pakistan: Ménage à Trois." (DIRB Indexed Media Review [Ottawa], 16-22 Feb. 1993, Vol. 5, No. 9).
The Economist [New York]. 21 December 1992. "Pakistan: Rough Justice." (DIRB Indexed Media Review [Ottawa], 22-28 Feb. 1992, Vol. 5 No. 1).
Attachments
Country Reports on Human Rights for 1992. 1993. U.S. Department of State. Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office.
The Economist [New York]. 19 February 1993. "Pakistan: Ménage à Trois." (DIRB Indexed Media Review [Ottawa], 16-22 Feb. 1993, Vol. 5 No. 9).
The Economist [New York]. 21 December 1992. "Pakistan: Rough Justice." (DIRB Indexed Media Review [Ottawa], 22-28 Feb. 1992, Vol. 5 No. 1).
