KARACHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday warned that military authorities would be summoned if action was not taken against former chief of army staff General (r) Aslam Beg and spymaster Lt Gen (r) Asad Durrani, a private TV channel reported.
A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar and comprising Justice Umar Ata Bandial and Justice Ijazul Ahsan resumed hearing into the Asghar Khan case, which pertains to the distribution of Rs 140 million among politicians ahead of the 1990 general elections.
When the top judge inquired whether the military authorities had taken action on the matter referred by the federal cabinet against Beg and Durrani, a representative of the defence ministry requested the bench for more time citing that they had sought requisite record of witnesses from the interior ministry. Accepting the plea, the apex court granted four weeks to the defence ministry to submit a progress report in the matter.
Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Director General Bashir Memon also sought time to investigate politicians, including former prime ministers Nawaz Sharif and Zafarullah Jamali, alleged to have taken money during 1990 elections.
Memon said Jamali denied receiving money when the agency contacted him. The former prime minister told the FIA that he would record his statement after elections. The agency is yet to obtain records from the defence ministry in this matter, added Memon.
Noting that two months had already passed since the apex court issued the directives, Justice Nisar said the matter should not be stretched further. The bench directed the defence ministry and GHQ to share all relevant records with the FIA and adjourned the hearing.
On June 9, submitting a written statement before the apex court, Nawaz denied the allegation of receiving millions from the army to run his party’s election campaign in 1990. “Nawaz Sharif had never received an amount of Rs 3.5 million from Lt Gen (r) Asad Durrani, Ex DG ISI, and/or under his instructions from his representative as a donation to spend on the election campaign in general elections of 1990,” the statement submitted by Sharif’s counsel Munawar Iqbal Duggal had said.
Published in Daily Times, August 16th 2018.
