مضمون کا ماخذ : sorteos da loteria
SC dismisses review pleas of ex-generals
The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed review petitions filed by former chief of army staff Gen (r) Mirza Aslam Beg and former ISI chief Lt Gen (r) Asad Durrani against the top court’s ruling in the famous Asghar Khan case. A three-member Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar took up the […]
The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed review petitions filed by former chief of army staff Gen (r) Mirza Aslam Beg and former ISI chief Lt Gen (r) Asad Durrani against the top court’s ruling in the famous Asghar Khan case.
A three-member Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar took up the review pleas on Monday. The bench directed the attorney general as well as FIA chief to inform the court about the steps taken by the government for the implementation of the judgment in Asghar Khan case.
The chief justice noted that if the court accepts the review pleas, then the verdict will stand null and void.
The chief justice wondered why government had not implemented the judgment despite the lapse of many years and issued notice to the attorney general for Pakistan and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) director general to appear before the court on Tuesday. He said the court will fix the responsibility on those who did not implement the verdict.
To a court query, advocate Salman Akram Raja, who represented Asghar Khan in the case, stated that the court in its verdict had ruled that Gen (r) Aslam Beg and Lt Gen (r) Asad Durrani had violated the constitution. To a court query, Shah Khawar, counsel for Asad Durrani, stated the court had also ordered an investigation against politicians who had allegedly taken money from the ISI.
The court asked former army chief to argue his case. Beg informed the court that he could not engage his lawyer as he received the notice a few days ago. He, however, rejected his involvement in the case, saying, “I did not give any such orders during my time as army chief and I did not take any step that went against the institution,” he contended. He further stated that he would not have gained anything by giving such orders and that he never disrespected the institution.
In 1996, Air Marshal (r) Asghar Khan had written a letter to the then chief justice of Pakistan Nasim Hassan Shah alleging that the then president Ghulam Ishaq Khan, then army chief General Mirza Aslam Beg, then director general ISI Lt Gen Asad Durrani and then head of Habib Bank Sindh and owner of now defunct Mehran Bank Younis Habib had doled out Rs 140 million among several politicians ahead of 1990 polls to ensure Benazir Bhutto’s defeat in the general polls.
On October 19, 2012, the top court handed down a 141-page verdict under the then chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry declaring that 1990 elections were rigged. It was a landmark ruling from the Supreme Court 16 years after Asghar Khan filed the case. The court had ordered the FIA to investigate the matter, adding that if evidence was found against anyone, action should be taken. Gen (r) Aslam Beg and Lt Gen (r) Asad Durrani had then filed appeals against the apex court’s decision.
Published in Daily Times, May 8th 2018.
