Pakistan SC Ordered action against Ex Chiefs of Pak army and ISI

Supreme Court of Pakistan on 19 October 2012 ordered the government to take legal action against former army chief General Mirza Aslam Beg and former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Asad Durrani for distributing millions of rupees among politicians to manipulate the 1990 general election.

A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry also asserted on shutting down immediately of any "political cell" operating in the presidency, ISI, Military Intelligence or Intelligence Bureau. Also the bench ruled that any notification to create such a cell would be null and void.

The directives were issued by the Supreme Court of Pakistan after taking into consideration the petition filed in 1996 by former air force chief Asghar Khan against the distribution of funds by the ISI among politicians to prevent the Pakistan People's Party's victory in the 1990 polls.

Although the two general are retired the court directed the government to take action against them according to the Constitution and the law.

It was informed to the Supreme Court during the case hearing that election cell in the presidency had received 140 million rupees from a banker to tampered the poll. Out of which 60 million Rupees was distributed among politicians while 80 million rupees was retained in a "survey and construction account" maintained by the Military Intelligence.

Keeping it into consideration, the Supreme Court of Pakistan directed authorities to recover the amount paid to politicians with interest and to deposit the funds with the national exchequer.