TERENCE J SIGAMONY

ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Siraj-ul-Haq Saturday denied receiving money from Inter Services Intelligence in 1990 and termed the allegations as baseless.

A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar on June 6 had ordered all the persons whose names have appeared in Asghar Khan Case, including ex-PM and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Quaid Nawaz Sharif, to submit written replies within three days.

Pursuant to the directions, JI Ameer Senator Siraj-ul-Haq on behalf of Jamaat-e-Islami, while Advocate Munawar Iqbal Duggal on behalf of Muhammad Nawaz Sharif filed the replies.

“The allegation of receiving donations/amount in general elections in 1990 are false. No amount, whatsoever, or of any kind, was ever received by the Jamaat-e-Islami from ISI or any other organization,” says the reply of the JI Ameer.

It also said that even in 2007 when the HRC # 19/1996 was pending adjudication before the apex court, only JI voluntarily appeared before it by moving CMA 918/2007 to rebut the allegations of receiving any such amount.

The JI also submitted the affidavit of JI Deputy Secretary General Dr Farid Ahmed Paracha filed in 2012 in the Supreme Court, which reads: “Lt Gen Asad Durrani (Retd) had levelled baseless allegation against JI that it being member of IJI had received Rs5 million from ISI.”

Munawar Iqbal Duggal filed ex-PM Nawaz Sharif’s reply regarding the specific allegations made against him in the judgment of Asghar Khan Case.

“Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif had never received an amount of Rs3.5 million from Lt Gen 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 reply.

“Similarly, no amount – Rs3.5 million and Rs2.5 million – was given to Nawaz Sharif by Younas Habib and/or under his instructions.”

The reply further stated that in this regard Mian Nawaz Sharif has already got his statement recorded on 14-10-2015 before the Inquiry Committee constituted pursuant to registration of enquiry # 47/2013 in Special Investigation Unit (SIU) FIA HQ, Islamabad under FIA Investigation /Enquiry Rules, 2002 in compliance with the apex court directions contained, inter alia, in para 102 of Asghar Khan Case.

The apex court on October 19, 2012 had issued a 14-page verdict, ordering legal proceedings against Gen Beg and Lt Gen (Retd) Durrani in former Air Chief Air Marshal Asghar Khan case. The ex-PAF chief had petitioned the top court in 1996 against the two top army generals, alleging they with the then President of Pakistan Ishaq Khan had doled out Rs140 million among politicians to rig the elections 1996.

The apex court in its judgment ruled that the general election held in the year 1990 was subjected to corruption and corrupt practices as in view of the overwhelming material produced by the parties during hearing, it has been established that an “Election Cell” had been created in the Presidency, which was functioning to provide financial assistance to the favoured candidates, or a group of political parties to achieve the desired result by polluting election process and to deprive the people of Pakistan from being represented by their chosen representatives.

The ISI, MI or any other agency like IB had no role to play in the political affairs of the country such as formation or destabilization of government, or interfere in the holding of honest, free and fair elections by Election Commission of Pakistan. Involvement of the officers/members of secret agencies, ie, ISI, MI, IB, etc, in unlawful activities, individually or collectively calls for strict action being, violative of oath of their offices, and if involved, they are liable to be dealt with under the Constitution and the law. Similarly, legal proceedings shall be initiated against the politicians who allegedly had received donations to spend on election campaigns in the general election of 1990, therefore, transparent investigation on the criminal side shall be initiated by the FIA against all of them and if sufficient evidence is collected, they shall be sent up to face the trial, according to law.