I agree with the writer that the period that she has talked about was indeed the most sordid in Pakistan’s history.
CHANTILLY, VA, US: This is with reference to Amina Jilani’s article of April 2 titled “Let it be”.
I agree with the writer that the period that she has talked about was indeed the most sordid in Pakistan’s history. I did not believe a person could die of a broken heart but my father — Aziz Ahmed — did. He would say that he did not think he would live to see such a day in the country he loved. He wrote hundreds of letters in his own hand to all the dignitaries he had met over the years and asked them to prevail on Zia.
Of course, it all came to naught.
The writer left out the fact that the “good” judges either got mysterious illnesses and/or were retired and, in the end, it was three versus three with the chief justice casting the hanging vote.
I believe there is no precedent in jurisprudence to hang a person on a split decision. A spilt decision commutes the death sentence to life in prison. But, as you say, that is one thing Zia could not afford.
Meekal Ahmed
Published in The Express Tribune, April 03rd, 2011.
