[Eujacwta]

ISLAMABAD: After over a decade, the Supreme Court will resume hearing today what is generally known as the Asghar Khan case in which the former Army Chief and DG ISI had admitted their wrongdoings but never produced before the court any evidence about the money dispersed by them to anti-PPP politicians, political parties and journalists.

This case is expected to be the focus of media and public attention for the reason that not only does it involve two top generals of the past but a number of key politicians and important players in the present political and media chessboard of the country.

Air Marshal (retd) Asghar Khan had approached the Supreme Court in 1996 with reference to the disbursement of public money and its misuse for political purposes by the then Army Chief General Aslam Beg, DG ISI Lt Gen Asad Durrani and former Mehran Bank chief Younis Habib.

In his affidavit, submitted before the apex court, the former DG ISI had admitted to have disbursed money to Mian Nawaz Sharif (Rs3.5 million), Lt General Rafaqat who was head of President Ghulam Ishaq Khan’s election cell (Rs5.6 million), late Mir Afzal Khan (Rs10 million), late ex-PM Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi (Rs5 million), late Jam Sadiq Ali (Rs5 million), late ex-PM Mohammed Khan Junejo (Rs2.5 million), late Pir Pagaro (Rs2 million), lawyer Abdul Hafeez Pirzada (Rs3 million), ex-Governor Sindh Yusuf Haroon (Rs5 million) which he confirmed having received for Altaf Hussain of the MQM, Muzaffar Hussain Shah (Rs0.3 million); Syeda Abida Hussain (Rs1 million), Humayun Marri (Rs5.4 million), Jamaat-e-Islami (Rs5 million), journalists Altaf Hussain Qureshi and Mustafa Sadiq (Rs0.5 million); Arbab Ghulam Aftab (Rs0.3 million); Pir Noor Mohammad Shah (Rs0.3 million); Arbab Faiz Mohammad (Rs0.3 million); Arbab Ghulam Habib (Rs0.2 million); Ismail Rahu (Rs0.2 million); Liaquat Baloch (Rs1.5 million); Jam Yusuf (Rs0.75 million); Nadir Magsi (Rs1 million). Most of these individuals and political parties have, however, denied receiving any money from the ISI.