News
Thursday, April 26, 2012
SC rejects Interior Ministry’s report on Mehran Bank scandal* Court directs General (r) Aslam Beg’s counsel to furnish details of account maintained by ISI as mentioned by former army chief in his statement
Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: Hearing Air Marshal (r) Asghar Khan’s petition, the Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected a report submitted by the Interior Ministry on the Mehran Bank scandal, saying it was based on memory of the then FIA director Rehman Malik, who is currently the interior minister.
The report quoted Malik as saying that he was delegated the responsibility of investigating the scandal by the then interior minister Naseerullah Babar.
The court observed that there was need to make a distinction whether it was the act of an individual or an institution as a whole regarding alleged distribution of money by the ISI in 1990 to topple the government.
A three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and comprising Justice Khilji Arif Hussain and Justice Tariq Pervaiz, noted, “General (r) Beg in his concise statement had also taken the position of possessing knowledge about the distribution of this amount and maintaining the account by the ISI. Inter alia, in the concise statement, one of the factors also finds mentioned to the effect that full account was maintained qua all the payments made by the then Director General, ISI and no amount was misappropriated or misused.”
The court directed Akram Sheikh, counsel for General (r) Beg, to furnish the details of accounts maintained by the ISI, as mentioned by the former army chief in his concise statement, before the next date of hearing.
Earlier, AGP Irfan Qadir told the bench that on the court’s order, he met Rehman Malik, but reports of Mehran and Habib bank scandals were unavailable at the ministry, except the one based on Malik’s memory. He assured the court that all efforts would be made to trace out the said reports.
During the proceeding, the chief justice appreciated the army’s efforts in, what he called, rendering sacrifices for the defence and protection of citizens, and said, “Thank God, for the last four years there is democracy in the country and the credit goes to General Ashfaq Pervaiz Kayani.”
He said due to Kayani’s efforts, there is no threat to democracy in the country, adding the army was fighting with terrorists and also rescued people in calamities such as earthquakes and floods in the country.
The hearing was adjourned until May 10.Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk