Asghar Khan case: Former minister denies receiving money from intelligence agencies

Allegation contained in the affidavit of General (retd) Asad Durrani is incorrect and denied, says Abida Hussain

ISLAMABAD: Former federal minister Abida Hussain on Monday denied receiving money from intelligence agencies for participating in Nawaz Sharif's 1990 election campaign during a hearing of the Asghar Khan case.

The Supreme Court had notified all respondents in the case to submit their replies. Hussain's one-page reply said, "The allegation contained in the affidavit of General (retd) Asad Durrani is incorrect and denied. The answering respondent did not receive money as alleged."



In 2009, after Durrani confirmed that payments had been made to at least one politician, Hussain - who was then part of Nawaz's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) - publicly acknowledged that she had received the political bribe. General (retd) Mirza Aslam Beg who was in charge at the time, said that the move had come to "discredit Nawaz."

On June 9, submitting a written statement before the SC, Nawaz denied the allegation of receiving millions from the Army to run his party’s election campaign in 1990.

“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 further denied that the deposed 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.



“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.