Nawaz denies accepting money from ISI; accepts FIA probe

 

LAHORE - PML-N President Nawaz Sharif has denied receiving money from former ISI DG or anyone else and expressed willingness to cooperate over the FIA investigations into the alleged money distribution to the politicians during making of the IJI in 1990. 

The Supreme Court in its verdict in the Asghar Khan case had ordered the FIA (Federal Investigation Agency) to probe the allegations made by former Mehran Bank chairman Younas Habib, who said he gave money to Sharif Brothers and others at the asking of ISI ex-DG Gen (r) Asad Durrani.In an interview to a private TV channel on Thursday, Nawaz said: “Neither I met Younas Habib nor received money from him.” He said it was ridiculous to claim that he received the petty amount of Rs2.5 million from the agencies as election bribe giving that the industries owned by his family gave 92 crore rupees in taxes in 1990.“I had been Punjab finance minister once; chief minister and prime minister twice; and I never used secret funds; I even gave away my salary in charity,” he said. Younas Habib has a dubious character and criminal record, and it would be unwise to believe his words. He said Younas had been ousted during his government for involvement in scandals.Nawaz also pointed out that Younas blamed a number of politicians for receiving money but he did not mention even a single name from PPP leaders who had gained financial benefits. To a question, he said he and his brother Shahbaz Sharif were considering filing a defamation law suit against Younas Habib for damaging their reputation.About former chief of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Asad Durrani, Nawaz Sharif that Durrani did not pay due regard to the prime minister and when he was prime minister, he had extended him such proposals as would create shock waves when he would reveal them at an appropriate time.Interestingly, only this Tuesday the PML-N central leader Ch Nisar Ali Khan in a press conference rejected investigations by the FIA, demanding probe by a neutral commission. But Nawaz said he fully accepted the SC decision and endorsed probe by the FIA.He said Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly Ch Nisar Ali Khan had opposed inquiry by the FIA because of certain reservations but it did not mean they showed disrespect to the Supreme Court. “We had played a front line role in movement for restoration of the judiciary and how come one can imagine committing contempt of the court,” he remarked.In the Asghar Khan case, the SC had found a former army chief and a former chief of the all-powerful ISI guilty of rigging the 1990 general elections against the Pakistan Peoples Party, and ordered legal action against the two former generals. The late president Ghulam Ishaq Khan, retired army chief General Mirza Aslam Beg and retired ISI chief Lt-Gen Asad Durrani were adjudged to have “acted in violation of the constitution by facilitating a group of politicians and political parties,” the court’s short order had stated.Following the conversation with Nawaz, the TV program host spoke with Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira, who welcomed the statements made by the PML-N president. Kaira also stated that the government would take action against former Army Chief Aslam Beg, former ISI chief Asad Durrani and Hamid Gul.

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