Govt fails to submit ZAB notification on ISI political wing

ISLAMABAD - The Federation on Monday again failed to submit the notification in Supreme Court regarding setting up a political cell in the ISI during the then regime of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry that also comprised Justice Jawwad S Khawaja and Justice Khilji Arif Hussain was hearing Air Marshal (Retd) Asghar Khan’s petition.  The petition alleges that the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) rigged the 1990 elections by distributing millions of rupees among several politicians to harm Benazir Bhutto’s election campaign.On the last date of hearing the court had directed the Attorney General to submit the notification of setting up political cell in ISI during ZAB regime. During the proceedings, Attorney General Irfan Qadir informed the court that he had written to Secretaries Ministries of Law and Justice, and Interior but they have replied that notification could not be found out. The court giving some time asked the Attorney General to submit the notification on June 18th. Regarding Habib Bank and Mehran Bank reports, AG told the court that all the old persons working in the Law Ministry have retired or died.He said the incumbent Law Secretary had written letters to Shahid Hamid, the then Secretary Law and the Chairman of the Commission Justice (Retd) Muhammad Ilyas that conducted the inquiry. He hoped that they must have some information about the report, as normally the Chairman of the Committee keeps a copy of the report. The Attorney General assured that by the next hearing they would more clues about the reports.  The Chief Justice said if a private TV channel anchorperson could supply the Mehran Bank report then why the government still could not found out those reports.Justice Jawwad S Khawaja said that the report should be in the Law Ministry. Makhdoom Ali Khan and the State Bank of Pakistan submitted two documents that contained the some details of the accounts maintained in various banks regarding the Mehran Bank and Habib Bank Limited scams.Makhdoom informed that the Inquiry Commission did not provide findings of the reports to the banks. However, the banks have submitted the relevant documents useful for the inquiry before the Commission.Iftikhar said that they would examine how these reports would be helpful in resolving the controversy that the court is seized with. He said if the Commission reports are made available to the court it will be fine, otherwise, they have to do some exercise to determine the status, nature and delivery of the amount on the basis of the material available on the documents of Habib Bank and Mehran Bank, and the MBL report supplied by private TV channel anchorperson. The CJP said that they have to proceed in accordance with the law.The case was adjourned till June 18th.

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