Retired Air Marshal Asghar Khan, now aged 91, shall feel pleased that his 15-years old petition is going to be heard by Pakistan’ Supreme Court in his life time. However, he shall not be much optimistic about its outcome.
Asghar Khan’ petition, filed in 1996, asks the court to look into the allegation that in 1990 an intelligence agency (read ISI) distributed millions of rupees (read tax payers’ money) among religious and right-wing politicians, including Nawaz Sharif, to cobble an alliance against Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).
Though today most of the recipients deny receiving of sacks or briefcases of cash, however, the then army chief and DG ISI never denied this act. Instead, they justified it in the name of ‘national interest’ and said it was done as per the instructions of President Ghulam Ishaq Khan.
This petition covers two important groups – politicians who play into the hands of intelligence agencies for petty benefits, and the agencies themselves who play the role of kingmakers in the name of ‘national interest’.
It’s a Pandora’s Box which is going to be opened. Will they go for real facts to be tabled and the culprits, whether in khaki or civilian dress, to be punished? I have doubts about the petition’s outcome. We have witnessed courts’ open inclination towards the military and right-wing parties’ view point.
They may run the case for some time in a try to reverse this impression. But nothing will come out of petition’ hearings, things will be buried under the doctrine of ‘national interest’.
It’s the same national interest and ghairat which allows Americans to operate on Pakistani soil to catch Aimal Kansi and Ramzi Yousaf but gets injured when marines take away Bin Laden’s dead body. Morover, in our hapless republic, conspiracies such as Memogate are hatched wherein a serving DG ISI sides with a shady character –Mansoor Ijaz who has spent all his life writing against the Pakistan army and ISI.
In short, Asghar Khan shall limit himself to the fact that at least his petition has been set for hearing, but nothing else.
MASOOD KHAN
Saudi Arabia
