Islamabad(June 12, 2018): The Chief Justice on Tuesday remarked over former President Musharraf’s return, “No agency can influence the court proceedings. The hurdle that Musharraf was facing in his return to Pakistan has been eliminated. He should come back and show how brave he is. The inquiry against him will be held according to law on his return.”
A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice heard Asghar Khan Case in Supreme Court Lahore registry today.
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Javed Hashmi, Mir Hasil Bizenjo, Abida Hussain, Ghulam Mustafa Khar, Bashir Ahmed Memon, former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief, retired Lt Gen Asad Durrani and Roye Dad Khan appeared before the court.
During hearing FIA Director General Bashir Ahmed Memon was asked to continue working on his post.
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Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar on Tuesday directed all concerned departments including defence ministry to cooperate with Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in Asghar Khan case.
“Further delay will not be tolerated in the case. Complete the investigation without wasting a minute,” ordered the CJP. FIA submitted its Interim Report in the court today.
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Javed Hashmi said that he cannot win the election if contest from Bhatti. “I am not here to conduct elections but to save the constitution,” remarked the CJP.
“You praised my character in Prime Minister’s House. I am greatly thankful to you for this,” said Hashmi.
“I have no connection with the Asghar Khan case in any way,” Bizenjo clarified in court. “Politicians have always been maligned,” said Khar.
“Including an individual in the interrogation does not mean to harass or smear him. All will be cleared if found innocent in the case,” said the CJP.
On June 06, Supremo of PML-N and Former Prime Minister failed to appear before the Supreme Court despite a summon.
A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Mian Saqib conducted hearing of the case.
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Mirza Aslam Baig also appeared in the court. ” I request the court to decide over my case and not the army,” he said. “Submit your petition and we will review it.
The next hearing of the case will be held in Lahore on June 12,” remarked the CJP.
Earlier on June 09, the former Prime Minister and leader of PML-N Nawaz Sharif and chief of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Sirajul Haq submitted their reply in Asghar Khan case rejecting all the allegations of receiving money from ISI.
Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif through his counsel submitted his reply in the Asghar Khan case in the Supreme Court on Saturday.
Nawaz, in the four-page reply, states that he never received Rs3.5 million from Lt. General (retd) Asad Durrani or under his instructions from his representatives as a donation to spend on the general election campaign of 1990.
Nawaz also denied receiving an amount in the sum of Rs3.5 million and Rs2.5 million from Younus Habib or under his instructions.
The reply adds that Nawaz Sharif has already recorded his statement on October 14, 2015, before the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) inquiry committee.
Sirajul Haq Submits Reply
Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) chief Sirajul Haq also submitted an affidavit on behalf of his party denying allegations of receiving money from the ISI for the 1990 elections.
“JI had not received any kind of amount from ISI or any other resource in 1990 and JI had become the part of the case voluntarily in 2007,” he said in his reply adding that he was ready to present himself before any kind of commission or investigation.
Asghar Khan Case:
In 1996, Air Marshal Khan had filed a human rights petition in the Supreme Court of Pakistan, accusing the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) of doling out money to a group of politicians in the 1990s.
The case was initiated by the air marshal after Benazir Bhutto’s interior minister, retired general Naseerullah Babar, had disclosed in the National Assembly in 1994 how the ISI had disbursed funds to purchase the loyalty of politicians and public figures so as to manipulate the 1990 elections, form the Islami Jamhoori Ittehad (IJI), and bring about the defeat of the PPP.
16 years after the petition was filed, the Supreme Court in its judgement — penned by then chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry — ruled that the 1990 general elections had been polluted by dishing out Rs140 million to a particular group of politicians only to deprive the people of being represented by their chosen representatives.
The court had, however, thrown the ball back to the then PPP government by directing it to take necessary action under the Constitution and law against former army chief retired Gen Aslam Beg and former director general of Inter-Services Intelligence retired Lt Gen Asad Durrani for their role in facilitating the group of politicians and political parties to ensure their success against their rivals in the 1990 elections.
In May 2017, PTI had announced its decision to file in the Supreme Court a petition seeking implementation of the orders of the already decided case.
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