The Supreme Court on Thursday was informed through a number of submissions that there was no primary evidence in relation to the existence of a political cell in the presidency. A three-judge bench led by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry heard the petition over alleged distribution of Rs 140 million among politicians by Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) to manipulate the 1990 general election.
During the course of the hearing of Air Marshal Asghar Khan's (retd) petition, President Asif Ali Zardari's Military Secretary Brigadier Muhammad Amir submitted that there was no record of existence of any political cell in the President's House. Commander Shahbaz, Legal director of Defence Ministry, also submitted a report pertaining to the deposit of Rs 80 million in ISI's account. He revealed that Rs 30 million was to be given to former army chief Aslam Beg's organisation, Friends, in 1990 but subsequent to General Asif Nawaz Janjua's objection the money was not disbursed to Friends.
Attorney General for Pakistan Irfan Qadir stated that information about distribution of Rs 80 million should be classified. The Chief Justice concurred and added that details should be presented in a sealed envelope. Former Military Intelligence (MI) officer, Brigadier Hamid Saeed (retd), who was the alleged distributor of funds appeared before the bench and submitted his written response, including his 21-year-old diary which contained details of disbursed funds.
Saeed further told the bench that he was appointed as MI chief for Sindh ahead of 1990 general election where he served for 16 months. The information produced by Saeed should not be made public, excluding paragraph 9 and 12 of his written statement, which pertained to the case, the bench ruled. Akram Sheikh, the counsel for General Beg, urged the court to issue orders to introduce reforms in the armed forces, adding that it was necessary that ISI should be brought under the discipline of the army.
The Chief Justice observed that it was not the job of the Supreme Court to give such instructions, adding that General Beg remained the army chief from 1988 to 1991 and that he could have told the then President, Ishaq Khan, that he would not become party to the distribution of money to politicians to rig the 1990 election. "It was only your client who could have brought the change," Chief Justice told Akram Sheikh. The hearing of case was adjourned till October 19 (today).