ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Monday adjourned the hearing of Air Martial (retd) Asghar Khan’s petition to April 25, DawnNews reported.

A three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, Justice Khilji Arif Hussain and Justice Tariq Parvez heard the case.

Asghar Khan had filed the petition in 1996, accusing the ISI of financing several politicians during the 1990 elections to create the Islami Jamhoori Ittehad (IJI) and prevent Benazir Bhutto’s PPP from winning. The ISI allegedly dished out Rs140 million for the purpose. The petition was based on the affidavit of former ISI chief Asad Durrani.

During the hearing, the court directed the attorney general to summon secretary interior and secretary law in his office and obtain information on a 17-year-old report regarding Mehran Bank and Habib Bank. The court also summoned records of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) cases against Younus Habib, one of main characters behind the controversy and a former head of the now defunct Mehran Bank.

The chief justice in his order again directed that the Intelligence Bureau (IB) to submit its report regarding the distribution of secret funds. The IB had submitted a reply to the court on the case earlier today.

Also during the hearing, former army chief Gen (retd) Mirza Aslam Beg’s counsel, advocate Akram Sheikh, submitted his client’s reply.

The reply opposed the idea of forming a judicial commission to probe the distribution of secret funds to politicians and accused Habib for wanting to prolong the matter by forming the commission.

Beg’s reply further stated that Habib was accountable to the NAB and that he had to pay 115 crore (1150000000) rupees to NAB.

Earlier, a petition was filed by Habib to form a judicial commission to recover the money disbursed to politicians.