SC expresses displeasure over lack of progress in Asghar Khan case

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar on Thursday expressed displeasure at the federal government for failing to call a cabinet meeting to take decision with regard to the implementation of the Supreme Court verdict in the Asghar Khan case.  

The CJP, who was heading a three-judge bench of the apex court, directed the government to convene a meeting of the federal cabinet today to implement the court orders.

At the outset of the hearing, he came down hard on the government, asking why the federal cabinet has yet not taken a decision about the implementation of the verdict.

He expressed concern that it is a serious matter, while the government doesn’t care about it.

A state counsel requested the top judge to allow some time to obey its orders.  Turning down the request, the chief justice directed him to call a cabinet meeting today to take a decision in this regard.

The apex court had already rejected the petitions filed by Gen Beg and Gen Durrani seeking to review the verdict passed on a petition of retired Air Marshal Asghar Khan.

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 supported the formation of the IJI to stop a victory of the PPP.

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