SC makes office of President a party to Asghar Khan case
A letter has been sent to office of President informing that they have been made a party.
ISLAMABAD:
The Supreme Court accepted the request of Salman Akram Raja, the counsel of former air chief air marshal (retd) Asghar Khan, to make the President of Pakistan a party in a case pertaining to the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) financing politicians in the 1990 elections, Express News reported.
The court stated that a copy of the order be sent to the President’s principal secretary to inform them that they have been made a party.
A five-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was hearing the case.
The defense secretary submitted a signed letter in the court, in which he maintained that there was no political cell operating in the ISI.
The chief justice observed that there should be no political cell operating in the President House because the president is the head of a country and also the commander of armed forces.
Justice Chaudhry said that the documents obtained by the court reveal that there was a political cell working under the supervision of former president Ghulam Ishaq Khan in the President House during elections in 1990s.
The chief justice added that meetings were also held between former president Farooq Leghari, former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and Naseerullah Babar regarding the cell.
The court adjourned the hearing till October 15.
Read full text of the court order here.
Correction: An earlier version of the article incorrectly stated that Zardari was made a respondent, however, it was the office of the President which was made a party.
The Supreme Court accepted the request of Salman Akram Raja, the counsel of former air chief air marshal (retd) Asghar Khan, to make the President of Pakistan a party in a case pertaining to the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) financing politicians in the 1990 elections, Express News reported.
The court stated that a copy of the order be sent to the President’s principal secretary to inform them that they have been made a party.
A five-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was hearing the case.
The defense secretary submitted a signed letter in the court, in which he maintained that there was no political cell operating in the ISI.
The chief justice observed that there should be no political cell operating in the President House because the president is the head of a country and also the commander of armed forces.
Justice Chaudhry said that the documents obtained by the court reveal that there was a political cell working under the supervision of former president Ghulam Ishaq Khan in the President House during elections in 1990s.
The chief justice added that meetings were also held between former president Farooq Leghari, former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and Naseerullah Babar regarding the cell.
The court adjourned the hearing till October 15.
Read full text of the court order here.
Correction: An earlier version of the article incorrectly stated that Zardari was made a respondent, however, it was the office of the President which was made a party.