CJ says ISI’s existence must to tackle terrorism

The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Tuesday summoned former Military Intelligence officer Brig Hamid Saeed on Wednesday in connection with ongoing hearing of the Asghar Khan case.
A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry hard a petition filed by Air Martial (Retd) Asghar Khan pertaining to allegations against the Inter-Services Intelligence of distributing money among politicians before general elections of 1990.
The bench issued notice to Brig Hamid Saeed and directed him to submit his reply on Wednesday.
The bench rejected a plea of counsel Akram Sheikh to make public the court’s in-camera proceedings with regard to the case.
Giving remarks during the hearing, the chief justice said that now Islami Jamhoori Ittehad (IJI) could not be formed, adding that only democratic process is in the interest of the nation. He said even the president has not right to influence the election process.
He said that Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) is working against external threats and it would be impossible to tackle the menace of terrorism without ISI.
Justice Iftikhar asserted that it is essential to follow the constitution in order to save the country.
The chief justice said in the past the shape of the constitution was disturbed by a single person. “We should not forget about the past,” he said. He said success will not be achieved until truth is spoken.
On the occasion, Justice Jawwad S Khawaja said that things would change now.
The petitioner’s counsel Salman Akram Raja said that according to General Durrani Rs70 million were doled out to politicians out of the total of Rs140 million. General Durrani’s statement about the ISI’s political cell was based on the statement of former army chief, he added.
Meanwhile, former bureaucrat Roedad Khan submitted his written statement.
The court later adjourned the hearing till Wednesday.