SC seeks record of Asghar Khan Case

Pakistan

SC seeks record of Asghar Khan Case

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The Supreme Court has sought sealed record of Mehrangate case by March 2.

29 February,2012 06:05 am

The apex court adjourned the hearing of Asghar Khans case to march 8, apart from issuing notice to EX-army chief Aslam Beg, ex DG ISI Assad Durrani and head of the ex-Mehran Bank chief Younis Habib.A three-member bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on Wednesday resumed the hearing of Asghar Khan’s petition regarding misuse of public money reportedly disbursed through Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to influence the 1990 elections.The hearing of the case on alleged payments to politicians by the Inter Service Intelligence began after twelve years.The CJP has remarked it seems the hearing was held in which Aslam Beg, Assad Durrani and Younis Habib got their statements recorded but probably they are non existant.He said that the statement of Lt Gen (retd) Asad Durrani, former director general of the ISI was vital for the case.Retired Air Marshal Asghar Khan had filed a petition in the SC in 1996, requesting the apex court to look into the allegation that in 1990 Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) distributed millions of rupees to right-wing politicians including Nawaz Sharif, Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi, Mohammad Khan Jonejo and others were allegedly paid hefty sums to cobble an alliance against the Pakistan People’s Party.Former Chief of Army Staff General Mirza Muhammad Aslam Beg, former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Director General Lt-General Asad Durrani and Younis Habib of Habib Bank and Mehran Bank have been made respondents in the petition.In their submitted affidavits before the court in 90s, General Mirza Aslam Beg, then army chief, and Lt Gen Assad Durrani, then ISI chief, confessed to the charges against them in the petition.