ISLAMABAD: After former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) chief, former ambassador to the United States Abida Hussain also denied on Monday that she had ever received funds from the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in 1990 for creating the Islami Jamhoori Ittehad.

In a two-page statement submitted to the Supreme Court, Ms Hussain stated that the allegations contained in the affidavit of former ISI chief retired Lt Gen Asad Durrani were incorrect. She categorically stated that she had never received the money as alleged, adding she had received a notice from the Supreme Court on June 5 this year in pursuance of the Asghar Khan case.

According to a list submitted by Gen Durrani to the apex court, Abida Hussain had allegedly received Rs1 million in 1990.

Tehreek-i-Istiqlal leader retired Air Marshal Muhammad Asghar Khan had in 1996 filed a constitutional petition in the Supreme Court, requesting it to look into the allegations that the ISI had dished out Rs140 million to a particular group of politicians during the 1990 elections to deprive the people of being represented by their chosen representatives.

In response to the petition, Gen Durrani submitted an affidavit giving details of the amount he authorised on the alleged directives of then army chief Gen Aslam Beg to be paid among a number of politicians, including Nawaz Sharif.

On June 6, an SC bench headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar had sought written replies from those who were named in the list provided by Gen Durrani for receiving the funds and subsequently issued notices to them. The court had also asked Mr Sharif to appear before it, but then allowed him to be represented through his counsel.

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

The reply said Mr Sharif had already recorded his statement on Oct 14, 2015 before an inquiry committee in compliance with the court’s earlier judgement.

Likewise, JI chief Sirajul Haq, through his counsel Muhammad Ishtiaq Ahmed Raja, termed the allegations of receiving donations/amounts during the 1990 general elections false and said no amount had ever been received by the party from the ISI or any other organisation. Even in 2007 when the Asghar Khan case was being heard, the reply stated, it was only the JI that voluntarily appeared before the apex court by moving an application rebutting the allegations of receiving any such amount.

On Nov 8, 2012, the Sup­reme Court through a judgement had ordered the Federal Investigation Agency 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 140-page verdict 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 were to be upheld by the apex court.

Published in Dawn, June 12th, 2018