News
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Distribution of funds among politiciansBeg puts blame on Durrani
* Former army chief denies his involvement in disbursement of money
* Says ISI was not under his command
* Accounts were maintained by ISI
By Hasnaat Malik
ISLAMABAD: Former chief of army staff (COAS) General (r) Mirza Aslam Beg submitted before the Supreme Court on Wednesday that the then chief of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt General (r) Asad Durrani was responsible for the alleged disbursement of millions of rupees among the anti-PPP politicians to manipulate 1990 general elections.
Submitting his reply in compliance with the court’s order of April 25 in Air Marshal (r) Asghar Khan’s case, Beg said he was not involved in the alleged doling out of money. He said he had already elaborately submitted in his concise statement that the amount was not placed in army account, rather in the account of ISI, and the person having the knowledge of the accounts would be Lt General (r) Asad Durrani or anyone else directed by him (Durrani).
The former army chief stated that the accounts were maintained by the ISI and he only instructed the ISI DGd, Lt Gen Asad Durrani, to maintain them. He submitted that no misappropriation was ever reported or came to his knowledge, adding that the ISI was not under his command. Beg contended that he has absolutely no involvement in the disbursement of donations ordered by former president Ghulam Ishaq Khan and that he merely possessed knowledge about it by virtue of being the commander of armed forces.
A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry had on April 25, while hearing a petition filed by Asghar Khan against the distribution of public money by the ISI, had ordered the counsel for Mirza Aslam Beg to furnish the details of such accounts before the court by May 10 (today).
The court had observed in its order, “We have undertaken some deliberations and during course whereof, it transpired that Gen (r) Mirza Aslam Beg in his concise statement had also taken the position of possessing knowledge about distribution of huge amount and maintaining the account by the ISI.” The court had observed that, in the concise statement, one of the factors also finds mentioned to the effect that full account was maintained and all the payments made by the then ISI director general and no amount was misappropriated or misused. The court ruled that counsel for Mirza Aslam Beg may furnish the details of the account before the next hearing.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk