Asghar Khan lauds SC verdict

Published October 19, 2012

Supreme Court of Pakistan
Supreme Court of Pakistan. — Photo by AFP

ISLAMABAD: Air Marshal (retd) Asghar Khan on Friday lauded the Supreme Court’s verdict on his petition and said that the government should initiate criminal proceedings against those involved in the Mehran Bank scandal, DawnNews reported.

Speaking to media representatives outside the Supreme Court, Khan said whoever had committed a crime — be it a civilian or a man in uniform — should be punished.

He added that it was for the first time in the country's history, that a ruling had come against retired military officials.

On the occasion, Khan's counsel, Salman Akram Raja, said that it was not possible for the government to not act on the court's verdict.

Responding to a question, Raja said the Constitution's Article 6 could be used to proceed against former army chief Gen (retd) Mirza Aslam Beg and ISI’s former director general Lt-Gen (retd) Asad Durrani.

The counsel moreover said that the court had clarified that no one could hide behind an unconstitutional order.

Earlier on Friday, the Supreme Court, in a short order, ruled that Asghar Khan’s petition was admissible for regular hearing and ordered the government to take legal action against Beg, Durrani and Younus Habib, who headed the now defunct Mehran Bank.

Opinion

Editorial

Digital growth
Updated 25 Apr, 2024

Digital growth

Democratising digital development will catalyse a rapid, if not immediate, improvement in human development indicators for the underserved segments of the Pakistani citizenry.
Nikah rights
25 Apr, 2024

Nikah rights

THE Supreme Court recently delivered a judgement championing the rights of women within a marriage. The ruling...
Campus crackdowns
25 Apr, 2024

Campus crackdowns

WHILE most Western governments have either been gladly facilitating Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza, or meekly...
Ties with Tehran
Updated 24 Apr, 2024

Ties with Tehran

Tomorrow, if ties between Washington and Beijing nosedive, and the US asks Pakistan to reconsider CPEC, will we comply?
Working together
24 Apr, 2024

Working together

PAKISTAN’S democracy seems adrift, and no one understands this better than our politicians. The system has gone...
Farmers’ anxiety
24 Apr, 2024

Farmers’ anxiety

WHEAT prices in Punjab have plummeted far below the minimum support price owing to a bumper harvest, reckless...