KARACHI: Mr Yahya Bakhtiar, Advocate General of Pakistan … complimented the Supreme Court of Pakistan for removing all doubts and misgivings in the constitutional field by overruling its earlier decision in the Dosso’s case and by declaring the National Assembly as properly constituted and legally competent body to frame the Constitution of Pakistan. He was presenting the address of welcome to the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mr. Z.A. Bhutto, at the inauguration of the … Pakistan Jurists’ Conference. …

Elaborating the point, he said: “In 1958, the Constitution of Pakistan was abrogated, Martial Law was imposed and a dictatorship was established. … Within a few days of the so-called revolution the Supreme Court … gave the famous Dosso’s case decision whereby legal recognition was accorded to the Martial Law by describing it as a “successful revolution”. … This decision, which was later confirmed by the Court … fully helped the dictator to entrench himself in power. He became the sole law-giver and the very purpose for which Pakistan was established seemed to have disappeared.” Quoting Quaid-i-Azam, he said we fought for Pakistan because there was a danger of denial of … human rights in the subcontinent.

Published in Dawn, February 14th, 2024