ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and the Jamaat-i-Islami denied on Saturday that they had received funds out of Rs140 million dished out by the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in 1990 for creating the Islami Jamhoori Ittehad to prevent Benazir Bhutto’s Pakistan Peoples Party from winning general elections.

A reply filed on behalf of Mr Sharif stated that he had never received Rs3.5m from former director general of the ISI retired Lt Gen Asad Durrani or from any of his representatives as donation to spend on the election campaign in the 1990 elections.

In 1996 Tehreek-i-Istiqlal leader Asghar Khan had filed a petition in the Supreme Court, requesting it to look into allegations that the ISI had financed many politicians in the 1990 elections by dishing out Rs140m.

In response to the petition, Mr Durrani had submitted an affidavit giving details of the amount he had authorised on the alleged directive of former army chief Aslam Beg to be paid to a number of politicians. Mr Sharif’s name also featured among the recipients of the funds.

The two were asked by SC to explain their position in Asghar Khan case

On June 6, a Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar had sought written replies from those who were named in the list of Mr Durrani for receiving funds.

In response, Mr Sharif on Saturday filed the reply through his counsel Munawar Iqbal Duggal to deny that he had received Rs3.5m from the former ISI chief and Rs2.5m from Younus Habib, the former chief executive of the now defunct Mehran Bank.

The reply stated that Mr Sharif had already got his statement recorded on Oct 14, 2015 before the inquiry committee constituted in the Federal Investigation Agency headquarters in Islamabad in compliance with the court’s earlier judgement.

Likewise Jamaat-i-Islami Emir Sirajul Haq in his reply rejected the allegation that his party had received donations during the 1990 elections.

Mr Haq stated that he was ready to join any commission or investigation to be conducted on the instructions of the Supreme Court, the reply said.

After the court proceedings, when retired Gen Aslam Beg was asked by Dawn whether he had attended any FIA inquiry, he replied in the negative but hastened to add that he would appear before any such inquiry whenever called.

The former army chief chose not to respond when asked about Mr Sharif’s stand that he had not received any funds.

On Nov 8, 2012 the apex court through a judgement had ordered the FIA to initiate proceedings against the politicians who had allegedly received ‘election donations’.

In case sufficient evidence was collected, the court had ordered, the FIA was required to prepare cases for trial against the recipients of the funds.

Authored by then chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, the detailed judgement spread over 140 pages had emphasised that all officers who obeyed unlawful commands were individually liable and in the event of failure of the state authorities to take action, the rights of the people of Pakistan were to be upheld by the apex court.

Published in Dawn, June 10th, 2018