Asghar Khan case: Beg, Durrani fail to provide evidence to FIA panel

ISLAMABAD: The two most important characters in Asghar Khan case, the former Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General (R) Mirza Aslam Beg and the former Inter-Services-Intelligence (ISI) chief Lt General (R) Asad Durrani, couldn’t provide any documentary evidence to the high-powered Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) committee probing the case, The News has learnt.

According to sources, privy to the developments, both the retired military officers were questioned by the FIA team for nearly two hours each on Wednesday but none of them could provide any documentary evidence relating to amounts allegedly distributed among over a dozen politicians in the 1990s elections. However, Durrani presented hand-written notes containing names of certain politicians along with the amount they had allegedly taken from the ISI.

It is also learnt that one of the generals has told the FIA team that there is possibility of certain record relating to distribution of money among the selected lawmakers at the Army’s General Headquarters (GHQ).

The FIA team, sources added, might also approach the GHQ to get the relevant information, if there is any, to complete the probe into the almost three-decade-old case. It is pertinent to mention here that all the accused politicians the FIA probed so far have vehemently rejected the allegations of receiving any amount from the ISI during the subject election.

A couple of weeks back, Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar had ordered the FIA to complete the pending case on priority basis. The court had also directed the federal government to convene a special meeting of the Cabinet for deciding about what legal actions they should take against the retired army generals.

In 2012, the Supreme Court ruled that the 1990 polls were rigged and observed action should be taken against former COAS General Mirza Aslam Beg and former ISI DG Lt Gen Asad Durrani for violating the Constitution by manipulating the elections.

The apex court had also directed the federal government to take necessary actions under the Constitution and law against Gen Beg and Gen Durrani for their role in facilitating a group of politicians and political parties to ensure their success against their rivals in the elections.

Similarly, the court had also directed the FIA to proceed against the politicians who had received donations to spend on election campaign, if sufficient evidence was collected. Gen Aslam Beg and Gen Asad Durrani were approached for comments but they preferred not to talk.