Resuming hearing after 13 years on a petition filed by Air Marshall (r) Asghar Khan around 16 years ago against the distribution of millions of rupees by the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) among anti-Pakistan People’s Party politicians to manipulate the 1990 elections, the Supreme Court on Wednesday issued notices to ISI’s former director general Lt Gen (r) Asad Durrani, Ministry of Defence and the defunct Mehran Bank’s chief executive Younis Habib, directing them to file their replies by March 8. A three-member bench of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Khilji Arif Hussain and Justice Tariq Parvez, also directed its office to trace out the record pertaining to statements of former army chief General (r) Mirza Aslam Beg, interior minister Naseerullah Babar and Asad Durrani in the case in 1998 and produce it in sealed envelope on the next date of hearing. The court noted that the statements of Mirza Aslam Beg, Asad Durrani and Naseerullah Babar had been recorded in-camera, but the same were not available on the current record presented before it. The court also noted that according to May 27, 1998 order sheet, sealed cover report had been submitted on the working of ISI, thus it also be made available to the bench on the next hearing. The court noted that the presence of Asad Durrani during the case’ proceedings was imperative and directed that postal address of Mehran Bank’s chief executive Younis Habib be traced out and he be issued notice.
SC puts ex-ISI chief on notice
