Younis spills the beans

Former chief executive of defunct Mehran Bank, Younas Habib, on Thursday told the Supreme Court that under immense pressure of then president Ghulam Ishaq Khan and army chief Mirza Aslam Baig, he arranged Rs 1.48 billion of which Rs 340 million were distributed among politicians to influence the 1990 polls and rest was invested by intelligence agencies.
He revealed this before a three-member bench of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Khilji Arif Hussain and Justice Tariq Parvez, which was hearing a petition filed by Air Marshal (r) Asghar Khan some 16 years ago against distribution of millions of rupees of public money by the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) among anti-Pakistan People’s Party politicians to manipulate the 1990 election.
The court then sought a detailed report from the Defence Ministry on ISI’s working from 1990 onwards, saying it would be kept secret in national interest. The court also directed then ISI chief Lt Gen (r) Asad Durrani, who appeared on notice, and then army chief Mirza Aslam Baig, who also appeared on notice, to reply to Habib’s statement today (Friday).
To a court query about the details of the distributed amount, Habib, who appeared before the court on wheelchair, said he was unable to recall the event due to his weak memory, adding that he had submitted all relevant information through a written statement to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in 1990. Submitting his reply in response to Habib’s statement, then ISI chief Lt Gen (r) Asad Durrani admitted depositing Rs 340 million in various bank accounts of politicians. However, he tried to convince the court that the ISI had nothing to do with the money given to the politicians, upon which the chief justice observed that the bench would decided the case after hearing all parties.
On the occasion, Habib tendered his apology for his wrongdoings with a plea for mercy, adding that he had no other option but to capitulate to the pressure exerted by then president Ishaq Khan and army chief Aslam Baig to disburse the substantial amount in national interest. Submitting his written statement, Habib apprised the court that he and late president Ghulam Ishaq Khan met in Balochistan House after Aslam Baig introduced him there to the head of the state in 1990. Habib further said that the then army chief communicated the message of president Ishaq Khan to him to arrange Rs 350 million in 1990, adding that he (Habib) was taken into custody by the FIA for saying that it was impossible to arrange such a substantial amount.
Under pressure, he said he arranged Rs 1.48 billion of which Rs 340 million were distributed while the rest was received by the agencies for investment, adding that the bank account numbers in which the money was transferred were also provided by Aslam Baig.
Habib informed the court that he was also forced by Roedad Khan, a bureaucrat of Ishaq Khan’s tenure and then attorney general to file a case against Asif Ali Zardari in 1990. The court directed Habib and Asad Durrani to submit copies of their statements in the court that would also be provided to rest of the respondents who were directed to submit their replies on both statements on Friday.
Talking to reporters after the hearing, Habib said from the disbursed amount, MQM chief Altaf Hussain was given Rs 20 million, PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif Rs 3.5 million and his brother Shahbaz Sharif Rs 2.5 million.
Salman Akram Raja, counsel for Asghar Khan, told reporters that the prosecution of two people was not important, adding that the purpose of the petition in hand was to stop the repetition of such acts happening again.
He said the court might deliver a verdict asking the Election Commission to declare those ineligible who were involved in the scandal.
During the hearing, Younas Habib, Mirza Aslam Baig, Asad Durrani and the petitioner Asghar Khan and Commander Shahbaz, a representative of the Defence Ministry, were present in the court.
Talking to a private TV channel later in the evening, Habib said MQM chief Altaf Hussain had refused to take money from the ISI for rallying against the PPP.
Habib said he had given Rs 70 million to Jam Sadiq and Rs 15 million to Pir Sahib Pagara.
He said the ISI directly paid money to Nawaz Sharif and he was not part of that payment process.
Earlier, the MQM issued a statement saying Altaf was approached but the bribe was turned down.
The MQM said Altaf had refused to take money from Brig Imtiaz in 1988 and later from Brig Hamid in 1990.
In separate statements, PML-N Punjab President Shahbaz Sharif and the Jamaat-e-Islami rejected the claims of Younis Habib.
Shahbaz, and a JI statement issued from Mansoora, denied having received any amount from the ISI to rally against the PPP prior to 1990 general elections.