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India-Pakistan

Senators sound the alarm over banned outfits' candidates contesting election

2018-07-17

[DAWN] Members of the Senate on Monday lashed out at state authorities over their alleged failure to protect candidates and the public ahead of the July 25 elections, while taking aim at policies they said have "allowed" holy warrior ideologies to permeate society. After the discussions concluded, the upper house prorogued its regular proceedings in view of the Mastung terrorist attack, in which over 145 people were killed. In a scathing speech, ex-chairman Senate and incumbent PPP Senator Raza Rabbani said the duty to protect citizens was the state's while pointing out that the caretaker set-up was the existing state. He also regretted that while the country's economy and visa policy had been discussed in the last three meetings of the National Security Committee, the subject of law and order was never made part of the conversation. "The interim prime minister and military leadership must have been aware of the National Counter Terrorism Authority's (Nacta) report that stated that leaders of all political parties face security threats," he noted while wondering why the provinces were merely sent letters regarding the security situation. He also criticised the absence of the caretaker interior minister from the session, and wondered whether the law minister would instead answer the house's questions regarding the Mastung attack. "Will the interior minister again say that those who were attacked were not on the list of those facing security threats?" he wondered. Rabbani also complained that while orders to arrest political workers were "being implemented swiftly", there was silence on the Mastung incident. Referring to the participation of alleged members of banned outfits in the forthcoming elections, Rabbani said a new phenomenon was emerging on the model of the Islami Jamhoori Ittehad and Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal.

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India-Pakistan

Imran vows to win by-polls if de-seated

2015-08-01

[DAWN] Pakistain Tehrik-e-Insaf ...a political party in Pakistan. PTI was founded by former Pakistani cricket captain and philanthropist Imran Khan. The party's slogan is Justice, Humanity and Self Esteem, each of which is open to widely divergent interpretations.... (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan ... aka Taliban Khan, who ain't the brightest knife in the national drawer... has challenged the PML-N to de-seat his party MNAs and vowed to return to the House in the subsequent bye-election. "If the PML-N wants to accept PTI MNAs resignations, it should do it instead of acting hypocritically by supporting the party in private meetings and opposing in TV talk shows," he told a news conference on Thursday. To questions that former ISI chief Gen Shuja Pasha had instigated the PTI to hold a sit-in in Islamabad, Mr Khan stated that if he had been in Nawaz Sharif ... served two non-consecutive terms as prime minister, heads the Pakistain Moslem League (Nawaz). Noted for his spectacular corruption, the 1998 Pak nuclear test, border war with India, and for being tossed by General Musharraf... 's shoes, he would have immediately called an inquiry that why an army general was conspiring against a government. "I will quit politics, if proved that I took any money for the 126-day sit-in," he said, adding that if the government would constitute an inquiry, the Asghar Khan case should also be opened in the Supreme Court, wherein it was stated in an affidavit that the ISI had funded the leaders of the Islami Jamhoori Ittehad, Nawaz Sharif one of them.

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India-Pakistan

Money laundering allegation against Sharifs: Malik comes up with documentary 'proof'

2013-05-08

[Dawn] Senator Rehman Malik Pak politician, Interior Minister under the Gilani government. Malik is a former Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) intelligence officer who rose to head the FIA during Benazir Bhutto's second tenure. Malik was tossed from his FIA job in 1998 after documenting the breath-taking corruption of the Sharif family. By unhappy coincidence Nawaz Sharif became PM at just that moment and Malik moved to London one step ahead of the button men. He had to give up the interior ministry job because he held dual Brit citizenship. of the PPP presented the media on Monday documentary 'proof' of the alleged money laundering by the Sharif brothers and said he had requested the Supreme Court to look into the matter. "There have been 40 or so scams, including the money laundering and corruption committed by the Sharif brothers. I have written to the SC registrar for investigation into the billions of rupees of corruption as there is also a confessional statement of (PML-N leader) Ishaq Dar in this regard," the former interior minister said at a presser. The PML-N's Senator Pervaiz Rashid rejected the claim and said it was a propaganda against the PML-N leadership. Mr Malik said the chief justice should take notice of the money laundering of the Sharif brothers to the UK and Soddy Arabia ...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face... . He said the PPP might move the international court in this regard. He said the Sharifs should go to the apex court against him if they were innocent. "If I fail to prove the charges against them (Nawaz Sharif ... served two non-consecutive terms as prime minister, heads the Pakistain Moslem League (Nawaz). Noted for his spectacular corruption, the 1998 Pak nuclear test, border war with India, and for being tossed by General Musharraf... and Shahbaz Sharif) I will quit politics," he said. He criticised the Election Commission (ECP) order for stopping an electronic media ad about a conversation between retired Justice Abdul Qayyum and Saifur Rehman. "When it comes to the PPP, the ECP does not play its impartial role," he said, adding that when the Sharifs learnt that he (Malik) was bringing more video tapes against them they used their influence to stop them. Accompanied by Faiza Malik and Omar Sharif Bokhari, Mr Malik said Ishaq Dar in his confessional statement in 2000 had revealed that he had laundered billions of rupees abroad on the orders of Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif. He also provided details of fake accounts through which the Sharif brothers had laundered the money and the names of other people involved in the scam. He said the Sharifs should apologise to the nation for their 'bad deeds'. Rehman Malik said he had investigated the scams and if they had the courage they should prove him wrong in the court. "The Sharifs are threatening that after coming to power they will arrest me. But they cannot intimidate me," he said. Mr Malik said he had also written a letter to the defence ministry asking it to take action against the army officials named in the Asghar Khan case for their involvement in doling out funds to politicians in the 1990s, but to no avail. He alleged that the Islami Jamhoori Ittehad had been formed in 1990 to prevent the PPP from coming to power and now an alliance of forces of Evil had been formed for the same purpose. Despite all odds, the PPP would win the elections and form the government, Mr Malik expressed the hope. PML-N's Pervaiz Rashid said when Rehman Malik was in the FIA he had instituted fake cases against the Sharif brothers. "These are false as neither the Musharraf government nor that of the PPP could prove anything against the PML-N leadership," he said. APP adds: Rehman Malik claimed that the documents proved that Qazi Masood said the Sharif brothers had fooled him and allegedly opened bogus accounts on his passport and details of misuse of Ghani Musa Trust were also available in the documents. "It is also in the documents that Ishaq Dar said he had done it because the Sharif brothers asked him to do so," he added.

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India-Pakistan

"Non-political forces conspired against Benazir's 1989 govt"

2013-02-07

[Dawn] Former Director General Intelligence Bureau (IB) Masood Sharif Khan Khattak on Wednesday submitted a written reply before the Supreme Court, claiming that non-political forces were behind the vote of no-confidence against the elected government of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto during 1989. He submitted the reply before the three-member bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Gulzar Ahmed and Justice Sh Azmat Saeed that resumed hearing into the allegations regarding misappropriation of the IB's secret funds during 2008 and 1989. Khattak, in his nine-page reply naming late President Ghulam Ishaq Khan and former Chief of the Army Staff Gen Mirza Aslam Baig ...occasionally incoherent retired four-star general who was the Chief of Army Staff of the Mighty Pak Army, succeeding the creepy General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, after the latter was rubbed out died in an air crash in 1988. The general was involved up to his hairy ears in the Mehran bank scandal, shuffling millions in public money to buy or lease politicians, and is believed one of the prime movers in the sale of Pak nuclear technology to Iran. He ranks second only to Hamid Gul in the volume and flavor of his anti-Western vitriol.. as the most powerful personalities, said that they wanted to keep late Benazir Bhutto out of power through their pre-poll rigging efforts in 1988 elections, which started with the formation of the Islami Jamhoori Ittehad (IJI). He said: "Those, who wanted to keep PPP and Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto out of power through pre-poll activity against her, were surely going to also try and remove her from the corridors of power in the shortest possible time frame after they had been forced to hand over power to her due to the weight of the 92 PPP MNAs-elect of that time." He said being head of the IB, it was his duty to keep abreast with all such happenings that were aimed at destabilising the constitutionally elected government at that time. He maintained that they knew about such a move ahead of its tabling in the Parliament. The former IB chief, referring to the IJI's vote of no-confidence on October 23, 1989, said that everything was wrong with such a vote when the moving force behind it was not political. He said that with the with the complete backing of the former COAS Mirza Aslam Baig, the former president, and the then Punjab government, Benazir Bhutto was only reduced to the limits of the federal capital with no access to intelligence from military intelligence agencies, and therefore the ex-PM was heavily dependent upon the IB about such movements. "I must say here in very unambiguous terms, that even if any government of Pakistan when placed under extreme unconstitutional pressures, does spend any funds to ward off unconstitutional steps aimed at dismantling that government, there would be nothing illegal about," he added. He said that he was on the right side of the constitution against extra-constitutional efforts and had to suffer extensively for that reason. Refuting claims of a report by an English daily, Khattak said that he outrightly denied the aspersions that the amounts during his period as IB chief were distributed right, left and center with ulterior motives. He said that he had appeared before the Lahore High court during February 1992 and maintained that those funds were indeed spent towards furthering the national interest. He further said that the case was heard in 1991-92 in the LHC in connection with the accountability cases prepared by the then presidency under the direct supervision of former President GIK and his 'henchmen', including Roedad Khan. Khattak maintained that since 21 years had passed and he did not recollect what he had argued before the LHC, but added: "I do remember having said and conclusively proved before the court that the amounts mentioned were actually spent for the bona fide purposes that they were meant for." He contended that since no wrongdoings had been committed in his case, the LHC had shelved the case 21 years ago. During the hearing, the chief justice directed Khattak to submit his reply with the registrar office. Masood also apprised the bench that whatever he had written in his reply was based upon his memory and the court could contact the LHC registrar to obtain facts surrounding the case. Tariq Lodhi, another former DG IB, also appeared in response to a notice and submitted a reply claiming confidentiality. The bench directed him to go through its earlier order. It also allowed Attorney General Irfan Qadir to make certain submissions on behalf of the current incumbent DG IB. The bench told him that whatever objections he had, he could produce them in writing in the next hearing.

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India-Pakistan

PML-N, Taliban think similarly, alleges Kaira

2012-11-11

[Dawn] Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira on Saturday said Malala Yousufzai was symbolic of the school of thought followed by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto ...9th PM of Pakistain from 1973 to 1977, and 4th President of Pakistain from 1971 to 1973. He was the founder of the Pakistain Peoples Party (PPP). His eldest daughter, Benazir Bhutto, would also serve as hereditary PM. In a coup led by General Zia-ul-Haq, Bhutto was removed from office and was executed in 1979 for authorizing the murder of a political opponent... and Benazir Bhutto ... 11th Prime Minister of Pakistain in two non-consecutive terms from 1988 until 1990 and 1993 until 1996. She was the daughter of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, founder of the Pakistain People's Party, who was murdered at the instigation of General Ayub Khan. She was murdered in her turn by person or persons unknown while campaigning in late 2007. Suspects include, to note just a few, Baitullah Mehsud, General Pervez Musharraf, the ISI, al-Qaeda in Pakistain, and her husband, Asif Ali Zardari, who shows remarkably little curiosity about who done her in... , adding that, the Pakistain Moslem League -- Nawaz (PML-N) followed the school of thought of the Taliban, DawnNews reported. Speaking at a presser in Bloody Karachi ...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It may be the largest city in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous... , Kaira said PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif ... served two non-consecutive terms as prime minister, heads the Pakistain Moslem League (Nawaz). Noted for his spectacular corruption, the 1998 Pak nuclear test, border war with India, and for being tossed by General Musharraf... had also been accused of taking funds from the late Osama bin Laden ... who has made the transition back to dust... . The minister added that in the wake of the Supreme Court's verdict in the Asghar Khan case, the government elected as a result of the 1990 elections had lost its legal standing. He said both governments headed by Benazir Bhutto were tossed through bogus mandate. Kaira added that advertising campaigns using fake names had also been run against the PPP. The minister added that Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi was used during the campaign for the creation of the Islami Jamhoori Ittehad (IJI) and was later discarded in order to bring in Nawaz Sharif as the prime minister.

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India-Pakistan

Kaira lashes out at Hamid Gul, asks ISI to take notice

2012-11-02

[Dawn] Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira on Thursday lashed out at former chief of the Inter Service Intelligence (ISI) Gen (Retd) Hamid Gul The nutty former head of Pakistain's ISI, now Godfather to Mullah Omar's Talibs and good buddy and consultant to al-Qaeda's high command... , asking his ‘institution’ to take notice of his activities during his time as a serving general. “If his office, his home, and his institution were used in the formation of the Islami Jamhoori Ittehad (IJI), then he is answerable to the nation,” said the minister. “No one has the right to become the security adviser of the nation himself; this is the job of the state.” Kaira’s comments come two days after the former ISI chief , in an interview with DawnNews, admitted responsibility for creating the IJI to allegedly prevent former prime minister Benazir Bhutto ... 11th Prime Minister of Pakistain in two non-consecutive terms from 1988 until 1990 and 1993 until 1996. She was the daughter of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, founder of the Pakistain People's Party, who was murdered at the instigation of General Ayub Khan. She was murdered in her turn by person or persons unknown while campaigning in late 2007. Suspects include, to note just a few, Baitullah Mehsud, General Pervez Musharraf, the ISI, al-Qaeda in Pakistain, and her husband, Asif Ali Zardari, who shows remarkably little curiosity about who done her in... from coming into power through the 1990 polls. The minister said the IJI was formed to steal the mandate of the people through ulterior motives by preventing the Pakistain People’s Party (PPP) from winning the elections. During the interview, the former ISI chief had also alleged that Pak politicians were crooks and that if they continued to tread the path they were on, the army would also continue to intervene in the state’s affairs. Kaira said Gul had created problems for the nation in the past and should refrain from issuing such irresponsible statements, advising him to be careful in his choice of diction and tone. Pakistain has had three bloodless military coups in its history and has been ruled by four military dictators, the last being former president Pervez Perv Musharraf ... former dictator of Pakistain, who was less dictatorial and corrupt than any Pak civilian government to date ... . The powerful army and its intelligence agency have been accused of interfering in national politics and election rigging. In a landmark ruling on Oct 19, the Supreme Court ordered legal action against former intelligence chief Asad Durrani and former army chief Mirza Aslam Beg ...occasionally incoherent retired four-star general who was the Chief of Army Staff of the Mighty Pak Army, succeeding the creepy General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, after the latter was rubbed out died in an air crash in 1988. The general was involved up to his hairy ears in the Mehran bank scandal, shuffling millions in public money to buy or lease politicians, and is believed one of the prime movers in the sale of Pak nuclear technology to Iran. He ranks second only to Hamid Gul in the volume and flavor of his anti-Western vitriol.. over allegations of bankrolling politicians to rig the 1990 election. The verdict was announced 16 years after retired air marshal Asghar Khan originally filed the case, accusing the ISI of doling out money to a group of politicians who joined together under the IJI banner to prevent the PPP from getting elected.

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India-Pakistan

Hamid Gul accepts responsibility for creating IJI

2012-10-31

[Dawn] During an interview on DawnNews, former chief of the Inter Service Intelligence(ISI) General (Retd) Hamid Gul The nutty former head of Pakistain's ISI, now Godfather to Mullah Omar's Talibs and good buddy and consultant to al-Qaeda's high command... said that politicians in the country were corrupt, and at the same time admitted responsibility for creating the Islami Jamhoori Ittehad (IJI), a political alliance that was allegedly created to prevent Benazir Bhutto's ... 11th Prime Minister of Pakistain in two non-consecutive terms from 1988 until 1990 and 1993 until 1996. She was the daughter of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, founder of the Pakistain People's Party, who was murdered at the instigation of General Ayub Khan. She was murdered in her turn by person or persons unknown while campaigning in late 2007. Suspects include, to note just a few, Baitullah Mehsud, General Pervez Musharraf, the ISI, al-Qaeda in Pakistain, and her husband, Asif Ali Zardari, who shows remarkably little curiosity about who done her in... PPP from winning. He said that he is not afraid of any case leveled against him, nor is he afraid of being hanged. "The army cannot be controlled by politicians, the army has put control on itself," he said. Speaking on DawnNews's programme 'Faisla Awam Ka', Hamid Gul not only defended the creation of the IJI, but also credited General (Retd) Aslam Beg ...occasionally incoherent retired four-star general who was the Chief of Army Staff of the Mighty Pak Army, succeeding the creepy General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, after the latter was rubbed out died in an air crash in 1988. The general was involved up to his hairy ears in the Mehran bank scandal, shuffling millions in public money to buy or lease politicians, and is believed one of the prime movers in the sale of Pak nuclear technology to Iran. He ranks second only to Hamid Gul in the volume and flavor of his anti-Western vitriol.. for helping create it. During the interview, he said that he doesn't do anything against his own choice nor is he ashamed of anything he has done. Hamid Gul also said that he is prepared to face any article of the constitution and become a martyr for democracy. At the same time he put forward two condition's for his trial, stating that it should be open and that he should not be cooled for a few years Maw! They're comin' to get me, Maw! The former ISI chief said that politicians are crooks and that if they continue the path they are on, then the army will continue to intervene in the state's affairs. Hamid Gul said that he has never run away when the situation in the country turned bad, nor will he ever run away. He said Pakistain is his country and that he will be buried here.

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India-Pakistan

Judging the generals

2012-10-24

[Dawn] "THE elections are stolen," a stunned Benazir Bhutto declared after the 1990 general elections. More than two decades later, she has been vindicated by the Supreme Court judgment. The landmark ruling implicating the ex-army and ISI chiefs in the election rigging does not make amends for past wrongs, but it certainly sends a strong message to potential plotters. The ruling entails far-reaching political consequences as the country comes close to the next general elections. Whether or not Gen Aslam Beg and Gen Asad Durrani, the two main accused in the Asghar Khan case, are put on trial for violation of the constitution as directed by the Supreme Court, the ruling has opened up a Pandora's box the political fallout of which will not be easy to contain. There was nothing in the case which the people were not aware of or that had not been written about. The Supreme Court has only validated what has been known all along. It is not just the army and intelligence agencies that have been hit by the Supreme Court ruling. It has also brought into question once again the complicity of some top politicians in this sordid game of political manipulation. They were equally responsible for undermining the democratic process in the country. Notwithstanding a few exceptions, most of the political parties wittingly or unwittingly played into the hands of the military and intelligence agencies in the game of musical chairs of power played out in the 1990s. Many of them later on even became part of Gen Musharraf's military regime. What happened in the 1990 elections was not an isolated phenomenon. The long shadow of the generals had darkened the political scene throughout the so-called decade of democratically elected civilian rule. To be sure, the restoration of democracy in 1988, following the end of Gen Zia's military regime, was not a clean break from military rule. The return to the barracks did not mean that the military's structure of control and manipulation had been dismantled. The army chief remained a power behind the scenes in alliance with the president as has become evident in the Asghar Khan case. This arrangement of power without responsibility best suited the military. The disclosure about the distribution of money by the ISI to the politicians during the 1990 elections is just the tip of the iceberg. The involvement of the military and the intelligence agencies in political manipulation has been much more deep-rooted. It all started with the formation by the military of the Islami Jamhoori Ittehad (IJI,) an alliance of right-wing parties representing Gen Zia's legacy to counter the PPP and prevent it from coming to power. The ISI chief would even sit in at IJI meetings. Also, there is absolutely no doubt that the 1988 elections were rigged to contain the PPP's sweeping win. The generals never reconciled with Benazir Bhutto's first government. Not to forget that the ISI was directly involved in the infamous operation Midnight Jackal to buy over support of PPP members for a no-confidence vote against Ms Bhutto. She was finally ousted from power in a constitutional coup just 18 months into her term. Ms Bhutto publicly accused Gen Durrani, the then head of the Military Intelligence, of plotting against her government.

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India-Pakistan

PML-N rejects investigation by FIA

2012-10-23

[Dawn] The Pakistain Mohammedan League-N came out on Sunday with a clear stance on the Supreme Court verdict in the Asghar Khan case and said it accepted the decision but rejected an investigation by the FIA into distribution of money by the ISI among politicians in 1990. Two days after the court decision which declared that the 1990 elections had been "polluted", party stalwart and Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said at a presser that his party wanted investigations through an "independent judicial commission" and not by the FIA which was under the control of the ministry headed by Rehman Malik Pak politician, Interior Minister under the Gilani government. Malik is a former Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) intelligence officer who rose to head the FIA during Benazir Bhutto's second tenure. Malik was tossed from his FIA job in 1998 after documenting the breath-taking corruption of the Sharif family. By unhappy coincidence Nawaz Sharif became PM at just that moment and Malik moved to London one step ahead of the button men. He had to give up the interior ministry job because he held dual Brit citizenship. "We accept the SC decision in letter and spirit and are ready to cooperate, but a probe through the FIA is totally unacceptable," said Chaudhry Nisar, whose party was part of the nine-party Islami Jamhoori Ittehad (IJI) that was formed and supported by the then military establishment in a bid to defeat the Pakistain People's Party (PPP) in the polls. He expressed surprise over the SC move to give responsibility of the investigation to the FIA despite knowing its "performance" over the past four years. He questioned the FIA's role in investigations into various corruption scams. "Did the FIA carry out a transparent probe into the NICL, OGDCL and Haj scams," he appeared to be asking the SC. He termed the SC verdict a "welcome development" and expressed the hope that it would curtail (intelligence) agencies' role in future elections. But he voiced "reservations" over paragraph 14 of the judgment in which the government had been directed to carry out an investigation through the FIA into allegations against politicians, including Nawaz Sharif ... served two non-consecutive terms as prime minister, heads the Pakistain Moslem League (Nawaz). Noted for his spectacular corruption, the 1998 Pak nuclear test, border war with India, and for being tossed by General Musharraf... , of having received money from the ISI prior to the 1990 elections. Without saying anything about composition of the judicial commission proposed by his party, Chaudhry Nisar said the PML-N could approach the court on the issue, if needed. "We are ready to face accountability. However, a lie repeated often enough remains a lie... the SC (in its verdict) has called for a transparent inquiry which is not possible through the FIA," he said. He said the proposed commission should investigate the role of the agencies since the time former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto ...9th PM of Pakistain from 1973 to 1977, and 4th President of Pakistain from 1971 to 1973. He was the founder of the Pakistain Peoples Party (PPP). His eldest daughter, Benazir Bhutto, would also serve as hereditary PM. In a coup led by General Zia-ul-Haq, Bhutto was removed from office and was executed in 1979 for authorizing the murder of a political opponent... , according to him, approved the setting up of a political wing in the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). "There should be an open trial. Nothing should be kept secret so that people should know who had given money to whom," he said.

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India-Pakistan

Asghar Khan petition: Defence ministry says no political cell operating in ISI

2012-10-04

[Dawn] During the hearing of a petition filed by Tehrik-e-Istiqlal chief Air Martial (retd) Asghar Khan in the Supreme Court pertaining to the distribution of money among politicians by the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the defence ministry in its reply stated that no political cell was operating in the ISI, DawnNews reported. A three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, has been hearing the 1996 petition filed by Khan who had accused the ISI of financing politicians in the 1990 elections by dishing out Rs140 million to create the Islami Jamhoori Ittehad (IJI) and prevent Benazir Bhutto ... 11th Prime Minister of Pakistain in two non-consecutive terms from 1988 until 1990 and 1993 until 1996. She was the daughter of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, founder of the Pakistain People's Party, who was murdered at the instigation of General Ayub Khan. She was murdered in her turn by person or persons unknown while campaigning in late 2007. Suspects include, to note just a few, Baitullah Mehsud, General Pervez Musharraf, the ISI, al-Qaeda in Pakistain, and her husband, Asif Ali Zardari, who shows remarkably little curiosity about who done her in... 's PPP from winning the polls. The petition was based on an affidavit of former ISI chief Lt-Gen (retd) Asad Durrani. During the hearing, the ministry submitted its reply saying no political cell was operating in the ISI. Upon which, Chief Justice Iftikhar remarked that a letter submitted before the court on June 26, 1997 had stated that a political cell was functioning within the ISI. The court subsequently directed Commander Shahbaz, the official representing the ministry, to submit the reply after it had been signed. Shahbaz told the court that the ministry had confirmed the information with the intelligence agency before submitting its response. Expressing its displeasure over the absence of Interior Secretary K.M. Siddiq Akbar, the bench issued summons for both the interior and defence secretaries.

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India-Pakistan

SC directs authorities to submit report on ISI political cell formation

2012-09-14

[Dawn] The Supreme Court on Thursday heard the petition filed by Tehrik-e-Istiqlal chief Air Martial (retd) Asghar Khan pertaining to the distribution of money among politicians by the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), DawnNews reported. A three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, has been hearing the 1996 petition filed by Khan who accused the ISI of financing politicians in the 1990 elections by dishing out Rs140 million to create the Islami Jamhoori Ittehad (IJI) and prevent Benazir Bhutto ... 11th Prime Minister of Pakistain in two non-consecutive terms from 1988 until 1990 and 1993 until 1996. She was the daughter of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, founder of the Pakistain People's Party, who was murdered at the instigation of General Ayub Khan. She was murdered in her turn by person or persons unknown while campaigning in late 2007. Suspects include, to note just a few, Baitullah Mehsud, General Pervez Musharraf, the ISI, al-Qaeda in Pakistain, and her husband, Asif Ali Zardari, who shows remarkably little curiosity about who done her in... 's PPP from winning the polls. The petition was based on an affidavit of former ISI chief Lt-Gen (retd) Asad Durrani. During the hearing, Attorney General Irfan Qadir informed the bench that the notification enabling the formation of the ISI's political cell was not available. Khan's counsel Salman Akram Raja failed to appear for the hearing, Raja's Advocate-on-Record informed the court. Raja could not appear before the bench on account of ill health, the advocate said, requesting the court to adjourn the case's hearing. Responding to which, Chief Justice Iftikhar remarked that the case was significant and its hearings were crucial, however, due to the counsel's absence on account of ill health, the hearing was being adjourned. The court, once again, summoned the report pertaining to the establishment of the ISI's political cell and directed the federal defence and interior secretaries to submit their responses.

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India-Pakistan

Aslam Beg's assertion

2012-05-12

[Dawn] AN army chief disowning the actions of his subordinate/s in the line of duty is an extraordinary phenomenon. In an application to the Supreme Court, which had asked him to clarify his role in what came to be known as Mehrangate, Gen (retd) Mirza Aslam Beg ...occasionally incoherent retired four-star general who was the Chief of Army Staff of the Mighty Pak Army, succeeding the creepy General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, after the latter was rubbed out died in an air crash in 1988. The general was involved up to his hairy ears in the Mehran bank scandal, shuffling millions in public money to buy or lease politicians, and is believed one of the prime movers in the sale of Pak nuclear technology to Iran. He ranks second only to Hamid Gul in the volume and flavor of his anti-Western vitriol.. said he had "knowledge" of the affair but was not involved in the disbursement of money to certain politicians to manipulate the 1990 elections. More astonishingly, the former army chief said he had no control over the ISI. He may be technically correct as officially the latter is under the prime minister, but the reality in Pakistain, as he knows, is different. An army's various formations are answerable to its chief. Were different units to operate on their own, the army would turn into a political party rather than be a fighting force. No army can operate in war and peace without the intelligence agencies serving as its eyes and ears. Thus for Mr Beg to attempt to dissociate himself from the ISI defies common sense and brings ridicule to the office of the chief of staff of one of the world's largest standing armies. Years before Assad Durrani, a retired ISI chief, submitted his affidavit to the SC, giving details of the money gifted to some politicians with a view to creating a pro-army, pro-Ghulam Ishaq Khan alliance, Mr Beg had gone public with his disclosure about the money illegally obtained from the now defunct Mehran Bank and given to some of Pakistain's most corrupt politicians to help create the Islami Jamhoori Ittehad to undermine Benazir Bhutto ... 11th Prime Minister of Pakistain in two non-consecutive terms from 1988 until 1990 and 1993 until 1996. She was the daughter of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, founder of the Pakistain People's Party, who was murdered at the instigation of General Ayub Khan. She was murdered in her turn by person or persons unknown while campaigning in late 2007. Suspects include, to note just a few, Baitullah Mehsud, General Pervez Musharraf, the ISI, al-Qaeda in Pakistain, and her husband, Asif Ali Zardari, who shows remarkably little curiosity about who done her in... 's electoral chances. Hamid Gul The nutty former head of Pakistain's ISI, now Godfather to Mullah Omar's Talibs and good buddy and consultant to al-Qaeda's high command... , another retired ISI chief, also admitted that the establishment led by President Ghulam Ishaq Khan wanted to create "a balance of power" in politics by propping up an anti-PPP alliance. We now leave it to the court to decipher Mr Beg's rigmarole when he says he "only instructed" Mr Durrani to "maintain" accounts. The court must now also rule on the relationship between the army and ISI chiefs. Can an army chief be exonerated from the doings of its intelligence arm -- in military affairs or the dirty world of politics?

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