IN THE SUPREME COURT OF PAKISTAN 
(Advisory Jurisdiction) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
PRESENT: 
 
Mr. Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, CJ 
Mr. Justice Muhammad Sair Ali  
Mr. Justice Ghulam Rabbani 
 
 
REFERENCE NO. 1 OF 2011  
 
[REFERENCE BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE 
ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF PAKISTAN UNDER 
ARTICLE 186 OF THE CONSTITUTION TO 
REVISIT THE CASE OF ZULFIQAR ALI 
BHUTTO REPORTED AS PLD 1979 SC 38] 
-.-.-  
 
 
On behalf of President: 
Dr. Babar Awan  
Minister for Law & Justice 
Government of Pakistan 
Mr. M. Masood Chishti  
Secretary, Ministry of Law & Justice  
 
 
 
 
 
 
Date of hearing:  
 
13.04.2011 
-.-.- 
 
ORDER 
 
 
 
Dr. Babar Awan has stated that he would appear in 
this matter. But we have told him that as a lawyer he must be 
aware that he has to get his licence revived, though we know 
that there are examples where during the era when there was no 
constitutional dispensation in the country, Ministers had been 
appearing before the Courts as lawyers, but now as there is 
constitutional dispensation and institutions are functioning under 
Reference 1 of 2011 
Order dt. 13.04.2011 
2 
the Constitution, therefore, such exercise should not be 
repeated. On this, he stated that he has prepared his resignation, 
which was placed before us for our perusal along with another 
document whereby he has been authorized by the President to 
appear in Court. However, resignation has to be tendered to the 
President, who is the competent authority to accept the same. 
We appreciate that realizing importance of the case, Dr. Babar 
Awan, Minister for Law has tendered his resignation and his 
licence is likely to be revived during the course of the day. In 
view of the importance of the Reference, we adjourn it to 
14.04.2011 at 11.30 a.m.    
 
 
 
 
IFTIKHAR MUHAMMAD CHAUDHRY, CJ  
 
 
 
 
MUHAMMAD SAIR ALI, J  
 
 
 
GHULAM RABBANI, J   
 
 
 
 
Islamabad, the 
13th April, 2011 
 
