Asghar Khan case: SC dismisses review petitions of Aslam Beg, Asad Durrani

ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court has dismissed review petition of former army chief Mirza Aslam Beg and former DG ISI Asad Durrani in Asghar Khan case.

A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Saqib Nisar heard the review petitions.

The chief justice called Attorney General to the court and asked him why Asghar Khan case verdict, delivered in October 2012, had not been implemented.

The attorney general requested the apex court to grant him a couple of days to have updates about the progress made in the case.

The court, however, rejected his request and asked him to submit details by 10pm.

Later, the top court rejected review petitions of Mirza Aslam Beg and Asad Durrani and issued a notice of DG FIA and adjourning the hearing for a day.

The case has once again come into the limelight at a time when the plaintiff Asghar Khan, former president Ghulam Ishaq Khan, former premier Benazir Bhutto, former interior minister Major General (retd) Naseerullah Babar and a key witness Abdul Hafeez Pirzada are no more in this world.

When the hearing resumed, the CJP asked the former COAS to begin his arguments if he has not engaged any lawyer. On this, Beg requested time to prepare for the case saying he was informed about the case a couple of days ago.

The chief justice refused to grant more time and told the former chief that the hearing would not be adjourned at any cost.

In 1996, Asghar Khan wrote a letter to the-then chief justice of Pakistan Nasim Hassan Shah alleging that Ghulam Ishaq Khan, General Aslam Beg, DG ISI Lt. Gen Asad Durrani and ex-Habib Bank Sindh chief and Mehran Bank owner Younis Habib had doled out Rs140 million among several politicians ahead of the 1990 polls to ensure Benazir Bhutto’s defeat in the polls.

On October 19, 2012, the apex court issued a 141-page verdict under the-then chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry declaring that the 1990 elections were rigged. The court had ordered the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to investigate the fraudulent elections and initiate legal proceedings against the two Generals.

General Beg and Gen Asad Durrani filed appeals against the apex court’s decision. The apex court on Friday approved the petitions for hearing and sent notices to the affected parties. Khan, who passed away in January this year, was represented in the Supreme Court by renowned lawyer Salman Akram Raja.

PTI leaders @fawadchaudhry and @AbrarUlHaqPK visited Services Hospital and wished speedy recovery for @betterpakistan. They presented flowers to his son from PTI.

JIT to probe attack

A five-member joint investigation team was formed to launch a probe into the assassination attempt.

On representative each from IB and ISI will be part of the JIT.

Police also detained the organizer of the corner meeting for his failure to inform the law enforcement agencies.

Police and special branch were unaware of the corner meeting.