FIA asks SC to close Asghar Khan case over lack of evidence

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Saturday requested the Supreme Court to close the Asghar Khan case related to alleged distribution of money among politicians, including former premier Nawaz Sharif, to defeat the PPP in the 1990 general elections.

FIA submitted a report to the top court, stating that it has no evidence enough to initiate proceedings against those named in the case. The politicians who were accused of receiving money denied doing so in their statements, it added.

The report said there were gaps and contradiction in the statements of witnesses in the 25-year-old matter. Besides, there was no record of transactions made through banks, it added.

In his reply, PML-N supreme leader Nawaz Sharif had earlier categorically stated that he never received Rs3.5 million from the former chief of the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) for campaign for the 1990 elections.

He denied that he had received Rs3.5 million or Rs2.5 million from ISI director general Lt Gen Asad Durrani or the then owner of now defunct Mehran Bank Younis Habib.

Mr. Sharif stated that he had already recorded his statement in this case on Oct 14, 2015.

Earlier, the apex court had issued notices to 21 individuals, including the PML-N supreme leader, and former army chief Gen Mirza Aslam Beg, to come up with their response in the case.

Air Marshal (retd) Asghar Khan wrote a letter to the then chief justice of Pakistan Nasim Hassan Shah in 1996, in which he alleged that the then president Ghulam Ishaq Khan, then army chief General Mirza Aslam Beg, then ISI director general Lt Gen Asad Durrani as well as then owner of now defunct Mehran Bank Younis Habib had distributed Rs 140 million among several politicians to manipulate the 1990 polls to defeat Benazir Bhutto.

After the passage of more than a decade following the matter having brought to the apex court, it gave a 141-page landmark verdict on October 19, 2012 declaring that 1990 elections were rigged.

It ordered the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to investigate the matter and if evidence was found against anyone, action should be taken against them.

The court held that there was sufficient evidence to suggest that the 1990 election was rigged and that a political cell maintained by the then president Ghulam Ishaq Khan at Presidency supported formation of the IJI to stop a victory of the PPP.

It found Ghulam Ishaq Khan, Baig and Durrani guilty of violating the constitution.