Mehrangate unfolds

The defunct Mehran Bank chief Younus Habib told the Supreme Court Thursday that under immense pressure of the then President of Pakistan, Ghulam Ishaq Khan, and the then Army Chief, Mirza Aslam Beg, he arranged Rs 1.48 billion, of which Rs 400 million was distributed among politicians while the remaining amount was used by secret agencies.
------- Nawaz, Shahbaz, Altaf and others accused of receiving funds
------- Ishaq, Beg pressurised me to arrange money: Younus Habib
------- Durrani admits ISI deposited Rs 400 million in bank accounts of politicians
Meanwhile, Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry sought from Defence Ministry a detailed report on the ISI working from 1990 onwards, saying it would be kept under wraps in the best national interest.
Habib made this disclosure before a three-member bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Khilji Arif Hussain and Justice Tariq Parvez that has been hearing Air Marshal Asghar Khan''s petition against the misuse of public money reportedly disbursed through Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to influence the 1990 general election results.
Former chief of the defunct Mehran Bank Younus Habib, former Army Chief Mirza Aslam Beg, former ISI chief Asad Durrani and the petitioner Khan appeared before the bench whereas Commander Shahbaz represented the Defence Ministry in the case. Justice Khilji Arif Hussain asked Habib to apprise the bench about the details of the distributed amount. Habib replied that he was unable to recall all the details of the scam due to weak memory, adding that he had submitted all the relevant information through a written statement to the Federal Investigation Agency in 1990.
While submitting his reply in the Supreme Court in response to Habib''s statement, Durrani admitted that the ISI deposited Rs 400 million in bank accounts of various politicians. However, he sought to convince the bench that the ISI had nothing to do with disbursement of money to politicians. The Chief Justice, however, observed that the bench would decide the case after it heard all the parties.
On the occasion, Habib tendered his apology over his role in the scandal with a plea for mercy of the court, saying that he had no other option but to capitulate to the pressure exerted by the then President, Ishaq Khan, and the then Army Chief, Aslam Beg, to disburse a substantial amount among politicians in the national interest.
While submitting his written statement before the bench, Habib apprised the bench that he and President Ghulam Ishaq Khan met at Balochistan House in Islamabad after General Beg introduced him to the head of the state in 1990. Habib further told the bench that the then Army Chief communicated to him the message of President Khan to arrange Rs 350 million in 1990.
According to him, he was taken into custody by the Federal Investigation Agency upon his refusal to arrange such a ''huge'' amount. However, under duress, he later on arranged Rs 1.48 billion, out of which Rs 400 million was distributed while the remaining amount was received by intelligence agencies for some investment purposes, adding that bank account numbers to deposit or transfer money were also provided by Aslam Beg, the then Army Chief.
Habib also told the court that he was also forced by senior bureaucrat Roadad Khan and the then Attorney General for Pakistan to file a case against Asif Ali Zardari in 1990. The bench directed Habib and Durrani to submit copies of their statements in the court, which would also be provided to rest of the respondents who were directed to submit their replies in response to both the statements on Friday (today).
While talking to media persons after the hearing, Habib said that from the disbursed amount MQM Chief Altaf Hussain received Rs 20 million, PML chief Nawaz Sharif Rs 3.5 million and his brother Shahbaz Sharif Rs 2.5 million. Raja Salman, counsel for Asghar Khan while talking to media said the prosecution of two people was not important.
In fact, he added, it was the role of institutions in the country that was required to be investigated. According to him, the purpose of petition in hand was to stop the recurrence of such kind of scandals. Raja added that the apex court may ask the Election Commission to declare those to contest any election who were involved in the scandal ineligible. The hearing was adjourned till Friday (today).