Asghar Khan case: Aslam Beg to represent himself

Top court allows Barrister Ali Zafar to assist ex-army chief on legal questions

ISLAMABAD:

Former army chief General (retd) Aslam Beg will himself be arguing a review petition in the Asghar Khan case after the top court on Monday rejected his request to change counsels.

Barrister Ali Zafar had appeared on behalf of the former Chief of Army Staff on Monday before a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Justice Saqib Nisar as it took up a review petition in the case.

But the court stopped him, citing rules that a counsel who represented the plaintiff during the case should also represent them in the review.

Justice Saqib pointed out how they had barred Asma Jahangir from appearing in the review petition of Sumaira Malik. Gen Beg had originally been represented by advocate Akram Sheikh when the case was first heard and went to appeal.

At this Zafar sought some time away from the bench to speak with Gen Beg. After discussing the matter with the former army chief, who was present in the courtroom, Zafar said Gen Beg will argue his own case.

The court accepted this plea and allowed Zafar to assist Gen Beg if there was a question of law before it adjourned hearing for an indefinite period.

Gen Beg is asking the Supreme Court to review a decision of the apex court by former Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry who had declared that the former army chief and ex-DG ISI General (retd) Asad Durrani had acted in violation of the Constitution by securing funds from Younas Habib to facilitate a group of politicians and political parties for ensuring their success against rivals in the 1990 general elections.

The court had subsequently directed the federal government to take necessary steps against them under the Constitution and law, even though they had retired from the service.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 8^th,  2015.