The Supreme Court on Friday granted six weeks to Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to file progress report into the probe of funds used to manipulate the general elections in 1990. A three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, was hearing the implementation case of the year 2012 order in the Asghar Khan case which had implicated former Chief of Army Staff General Aslam Beg (retd), former Director General Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt Gen Asad Durrani (retd) and a number of politicians in relation to rigging in the 1990 elections.
In 1996, the late Air Marshal Asghar Khan (retd) had filed a petition in the SC, accusing the then army and ISI chiefs of doling out money to purchase loyalty of some politicians and public figures to manipulate the 1990 elections.
Director General FIA Bashir Memon informed the court that Ministry of Defence of 'Court of Inquiry' has been constituted that will be headed by a lieutenant general for trial of those retired army officials who were involved in doling out money among a group of politicians in the 1990s.
The court in its June 12, 2018 order instructed all institutions including the Ministry of Defence to ensure cooperation with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) which had been tasked with ensuring implementation of the court verdict.
Javed Hashmi, appearing before the bench, stated that NAB had acquitted him in this case eight years ago and why he is being summoned again in this case. The Chief Justice directed FIA not to issue notice to Javed Hashmi. However, the court ordered all the accused persons to cooperate with the FIA in investigation.
The apex court on October 19, 2012 had issued a 141-page verdict, ordering legal proceedings against Gen Beg (retd) and Lt Gen Durrani (retd) in the Asghar Khan case. The ex-PAF chief had petitioned the top court in 1996 against the two top army generals, alleging they with the help of then President of Pakistan Ishaq Khan had doled out Rs 140 million among the politicians to rig the elections.
The apex court in its judgement ruled that the general elections held in the year 1990 were subjected to corruption and corrupt practices as in view of the overwhelming material produced by the parties during hearing it has been established that an "Election Cell" had been created in the Presidency, which was functioning to provide financial assistance to the favoured candidates, or a group of political parties to achieve desired results by polluting election process and to deprive the people of Pakistan of being represented by their chosen representatives.
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