ISLAMABAD, Dec 31 (APP):Supreme Court Monday issued notice to legal heirs of (retd) Air Chief Marshal Asghar Khan, seeking their reply on Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) request to close Asghar Khan’s case due to insufficient evident.
A two-member bench headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar comprising Justice Ejazul Ahsan resumed hearing of the case regarding non-implementation of its October 19, 2012 judgment.
During the course of proceedings, FIA director general appeared before the bench and recommended to close the inquiry as the agency could not find relevant records as the matter was 24-year old adding that witnesses’ testimonies also contained many gaps and did not match.
He further informed the bench that the case was established on the basis of news clipping adding that the FIA had not enough evident that a criminal proceedings could proceed.
The FIA DG said the witnesses had also changed their statements during investigation, moreover, no record of bank transactions could be found. Therefore, he asked the top court to close the Asghar Khan case.
The court observed that the FIA had submitted its final report seeking closure to the inquiry as it had no evidence in the case.
Subsequently, the court issued notices to Asghar Khan’s legal heirs and adjourned the hearing till next week.
Back in 1996, former Air Chief Air Marshal Asghar Khan filed a petition in the apex court against former army chief (retd) General Mirza Aslam Beg and ex-Inter Service Intelligence Chief Lt-General (retd) Asad Durrani. This year in January, Khan, passed away after which he was represented in the top court by lawyer Salman Akram Raja.
In the petition, Khan alleged that Beg and Durrani, along with the then president Ghulam Ishaq Khan, distributed Rs140 million among several politicians ahead of the 1990 elections for pre-poll rigging and ensure Benazir Bhutto’s defeat in it.
The amount was allegedly provided by Younas Habib, who at that time was the chief executive officer of Habib Bank Limited, which used to be a government bank. Among the many names of the politicians included Nawaz Sharif, who was accused of receiving Rs3.5 million.
