The Supreme Court will resume hearing of famous Asghar Khan Case, involving alleged distribution of Rs 140 million by the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) among a group of politicians to manipulate the 1990 general elections, from June 12.
The case will be heard by a three-judge bench headed by Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed and comprising Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan and Justice Yahya Afridi. The Defence Ministry in the last hearing had submitted progress report regarding the implementation on the Asghar Khan case verdict. It informed that it had constituted a court of inquiry, which had recorded the statements of six witnesses and they are looking for more witnesses. However, Justice Azmat expressing dissatisfaction directed the ministry to submit a 'complete report.' He also stated that they will examine if the witnesses' statements that were recorded under oath, are true.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) again recommended the closure of Asghar Khan Case for lack of evidence. The Agency in its report submitted that it could not find enough proof or evidence to take the case forward. The FIA authorities said they were unable to proceed due to lack of substantial evidence. It also informed that they had interviewed two journalists, Mujeebur Rehman Shami and Habib Ikram, and grilled the main witness Brigadier Hamid Saeed (retd) as well as Advocate Yousaf Memon, but to no avail.
In its November 8, 2012 detailed judgment, the Supreme Court had ordered the FIA to initiate proceedings against the politicians, including former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who had allegedly been given a total of Rs 140 million with the objective of blocking chances of Pakistan Peoples Party's victory in the 1990 general elections.
The 140-page detailed judgment, authored by the then CJP Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, had emphasized that all officers who obeyed unlawful commands were individually liable and in the event of failure of the state authorities to take action, the rights of the people of Pakistan were to be upheld by the Supreme Court.
The verdict had conceded that the 1990 general elections were polluted by doling out Rs 140 million to a particular group of politicians only to deprive the people of the chance of being represented by their chosen representatives.
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