Asghar Khan case: Nawaz, JI deny receiving money from military for 1990 polls

Ex-PM says he had already denied allegations in recorded statement to FIA in 2015

ISLAMABAD: Submitting a written statement before the Supreme Court in Asghar Khan case, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif has completely denied the allegation of receiving millions of rupees from Pakistan Army for running his party’s election campaign in 1990s.

“Nawaz Sharif had never received an amount of Rs 3.5 million from Lt Gen (retd) Asad Durrani Ex DG ISI and/or under his instructions from his representative as donation to spend on election campaign in general elections of 1990,” said the statement submitted by Sharif’s counsel Munawar Iqbal Duggal.

The statement denied that the former prime minister, whose party was part of the coalition that had won the 1990 elections, was paid an amount of Rs3.5m and 2.5m by Younus Habib, the former chairman of a government-run bank and/or under his instructions.



“In this regard, Sharif has already got his statement recorded on 14.10.2015 before the Enquiry Committee constituted pursuant to registration of Enquiry No. 47/2013 in Special Investigation Unit (SIU) FIA HQ, Islamabad under FIA Investigation/Enquiry Rules, 2002 in compliance with the Hon’ble Court’s directions contained, inter alia, in para 102 (14) of the judgment in Asghar Khan case,” it said.

The Supreme Court on June 6 sought written statements from all politicians and journalists, who were accused by former air marshal Asghar Khan in 1996 of receiving millions of rupees ahead of the general elections of 1990 to counter the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).

The bench had issued notices to Sharif, Abida Hussain, Altaf Hussain Qureshi, Maulana Salahuddin, Humayun Marri, Zafarullah Jamali, Kadir Baloch, Sarwar Khan Kakar, Hasim Bazenjo, Nadeem Mengal, Muzaffar Hussain Shah, Ghulam Ali Nizamani, Arbab Ghulam Rahim, Liaqat Jatoi, Imtiaz Sheikh, Jam Mashooq, Jam Haider, Dost Muhammad Faizi, Javed Hashmi and Altaf Hussain.

According to Asghar Khan, Sharif, whose party had won that election, received Rs3.5 million, Mir Afzal Khan Rs10 million, Abida Hussain Rs1 million, and Jamaat-e-Islami Rs5 million.

In Sindh, Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi received Rs5 million, Jam Sadiq Rs5 million, Muhammad Khan Junejo Rs250,000, Pir Pagara Rs2 million, and other small groups in Sindh got Rs5.4 million. In Balochistan, Humayun Marri received Rs1.5 million. The beneficiaries also include Bezenjo and Kakar tribes.

Submitting a reply in the same case, Jamaat-e-Islami chief Sirajul Haq also denied the allegation of receiving any amount from any agency or organisation for the purpose of 1990 general elections and called the allegation ‘totally false’.



“The petitioner being head of Jamaat-e-Islami specifically denies the allegations of receiving any amount and is ready to join any commission, forum, investigation to be conducted on the instructions of this court,” Haq said.

He said the Jamaat-e-Islami voluntarily appeared before the court by moving an application in 2007 to rebut the allegations leveled by Asghar Khan that the Islamic party was also among the people and political parties that received funds from army.

The statement said that JI’s Deputy Secretary General Dr Fareed Ahmad Paracha had also refuted the allegations by submitting an affidavit. He submitted that none of the JI’s representatives or workers received any amount from the civil or military authorities in 1990 elections.