After ensuring that the civilian government in Islamabad wrote to Swiss government about the President Zardari’s bank assets in that country, the Supreme Court of Pakistan has cracked the whip once again in a bid to punish those who have committed crimes against Pakistan’s civil society. In a recent court hearing, it directed the Government to take legal action against former Army chief Gen. Mirza Aslam Beg and former ISI chief Asad Durrani for distributing millions of rupees among politicians to rig the 1990 general election. The apex court issued the directives in response to a petition filed in 1996 by former Air Force chief Asghar Khan against the distribution of funds by ISI among politicians to prevent Pakistan People’s Party’s victory in the 1990 polls. A three-Judge bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry also said that any “political cell” operates in the presidency, ISI, Military Intelligence or Intelligence Bureau be shut down immediately as such an institution is unconstitutional. Any notification to create such a cell would be invalid, the bench ruled. It further directed the Federal Investigation Agency to probe the distribution of funds among politicians so that legal action is taken against them.
It is common knowledge that Pakistan intelligence agency ISI has been interfering in the internal matters of the State. It always has had a direct hand in approving or disapproving candidates and rigging the election. Distributing of bribe money or intimidating the not-wanted candidate is among its methods of interfering with elections. The Supreme Court wants to cut ISI to size. The government in Islamabad is in no mood to adopt confrontational posture against the Apex Court. Prime Minister Raja Parvez Ashraf pledged that his Government would hold a transparent and impartial probe into the rigging and said the ruling PPP stood vindicated by the court verdict. These types of positive steps will strengthen the base of democratic dispensation in Pakistan and as such should be welcome.
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