Misappropriation of funds: LHC updates apex court on status of IB case

Registrar says reference against former PM Benazir was rejected in 1994.

ISLAMABAD:

The Supreme Court was informed on Friday that the presidential reference against former premier Benazir Bhutto, concerning the Intelligence Bureau (IB) misappropriation of funds case, was rejected by the Lahore High Court (LHC) in 1994.

Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, leading a three-judge bench, heard a suo motu case regarding the alleged misappropriation of IB funds by the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) to counter the vote of no-confidence move against  Benazir’s  government in 1990 and to  topple the provincial government of Punjab in 2009.



LHC’s registrar submitted a report before the apex court on Friday stating that reference 11 of 1990 – filed by then president Ghulam Ishaq Khan against then prime minister Benazir Bhutto – had no force.  It had been rejected on March 27, 1994.

Former IB chief, Tariq Lodhi, filed replies this week, along with supporting documents, in response to the court’s directions. Lodhi requested confidentiality, due to which the court ordered that all information he provided be stored in a sealed envelope.



Another former IB chief, Masood Sharif Khattak, also submitted his written reply before the court on Wednesday.

He stated categorically that the Military Intelligence had not assisted Benazir during her first tenure (1988-1990).

According to him, this is why the government had decided to enhance IB funds.

“[These funds were spent] on furthering national interest,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 9^th, 2013.