§ Mr. David Steel(by private notice) asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if, following the rejection of his appeal against the death sentence by Mr. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, he will recall Her Majesty's Ambassador in Islamabad for urgent consultations.
§ The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Dr. David Owen)The task of the ambassador is to remain in Islamabad to represent at this crucial stage the views of Her Majesty's Government. As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has just told the House, now that the Supreme Court 207 decision has been made and there is a provision for presidential clemency, the ambassador has today delivered a personal message from my right hon. Friend to President Zia. The Government hope that the President will find a way to temper justice with mercy.
§ Mr. SteelWithout commenting in any way on the verdict of the court or on Mr. Bhutto's record as President of Pakistan, will the Foreign Secretary make clear to the Government of Pakistan that the Prime Minister's representations on humanitarian grounds to the present Head of State for clemency towards his predecessor enjoy widespread support in the House?
§ Dr. OwenI think they represent the balanced judgment of most people in this country, and I hope that they will be listened to in that respect.
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. I propose to call very few hon. Members on this matter. I will call one Back Bench Member and then the Opposition Front Bench spokesman.
§ Mr. WhiteheadWill my right hon. Friend, through the ambassador, follow the lead of Mr. Ecevit and Mr. Palme and offer to General Zia the possibility of Mr. Bhutto coming to this country, as it is clear that the main threat to his life is the internal threat that General Zia believes he represents if he remains in Pakistan?
§ Mr. PymWe on the Conservative Benches are in agreement with the representations to which the Prime Minister has referred—[HON. MEMBERS: "Why?"]—and which we believe have widespread support in this House.
§ Dr. OwenI am grateful to the right hon. Gentleman. This is a difficult question of judgment, as I am sure everyone will agree. On balance, I agree with the right hon. Gentleman that the right decision is being taken.
§ Later—
§ Mr. Dudley SmithOn a point of order, Mr. Speaker. Without in any way seeking to question your decision in relation to the private notice question about Pakistan and the events there, I wonder whether you might reconsider your decision to call hardly any supplementary questions in connection with the future of Mr. Bhutto. There are many hon. Members on both sides of the House who are admirers of Pakistan, who know Mr. Bhutto and who would like to give adequate expression of opinion—
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. I am afraid that we cannot go back to that. The House has given me a discretion in these matters, and to the best of my ability I exercised it.
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. I shall not take any further points of order about Mr. Bhutto or about my ruling on that question.