General Beg tenders apology, denies charges

Pakistan

General Beg tenders apology, denies charges

Close

Aslam Beg submitted a written apology over a paragraph in his statement to which court objected.

09 March,2012 09:32 am

A three member bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry began the hearing of Mehran Gate case on Friday.Ex DG ISI Assad Durrani and ex chief Mehran Bank Yunis Habib were present in the court while ex COAS Mirza ASlam Beg submitted his answer to allegations of distributing money among politicians.The Court expressed its anguish over a paragraph in affidavit submitted by General (Retired) Aslam Beg in which he stated that he is being wrongly tried in the case. The court described the paragraph as contemptuous and asked General Retired Aslam Baig for apology otherwise the court will deal with him.The court observed that we are not here to play golf and will not let anybody to make mockery of the courts. Aslam beg readily apologized and the paragraph was expunged from his statement.Aslam Beg said whatever Yunis Habib said in the court was nothing but a pack of lies. It tantamount to disgracing the army, he observed. Aslam Beg further said the PPP has always tried to malign the army. Rehman Malik twice travelled to Germany to scandalize the issue, he alleged. He said Yunis Habib has coined this story to cover up his own crimes.Without reading commission’s report on Mehran Bank and Habib Bank scandals he could not answer Yunis Habib’s allegations, he added. Asghar Khan’s attorney Salman Raja said the then DG MI was also involved in the scandal.The Chief Justice remarked that no one could be treated as accused only on the basis of affidavit. He said everyone is innocent till he is proved guilty with evidences.Former DG ISI Assad Durrani in an oral statement told the court that speaking with full responsibility‚ the operation was launched on the directives of the then President and the Chief of Army Staff. For this purpose some army officers were deputed.He said that Aslam Baig told him that this fund would be distributed through the election cell established in the Presidency. He said he was told that the said money is provided by some investors of Karachi.Assad Durrani said that he has already stated that there is no political cell in the ISI‚ however‚ some people work politically.The court adjourned the hearing of the case till March 14.