Pakistan - Asghar Khan case - What happened in 1990

There is a reason why the murmurings from the 1990 election and the Asghar Khan case lodged by the veteran politician are still important today. The plea filed by Asghar Khan before a three-member SC bench alleged that the ISI had circulated enormous amount of money totalling over Rs140 million through the now defunct Mehran Bank to determine the outcome of the election, prevent the PPP from assuming power and bring the IJI led by Nawaz Sharif to power. The SC, in a historic verdict delivered in October 2012, had ordered a full FIA investigation into the accusations and the return of any money given out to politicians. It had also sought an enquiry against intelligence officials involved in the said transactions. The inquiry by the FIA was begun in late 2013, almost a year after the SC verdict. General Aslam Baig, the military chief at the time of the 1990 polls, and one of the main accused in the case has yet to make any statement and has filed a review petition. But beyond these technicalities the case could still influence politics today. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, accused of accepting Rs33 lakh from Mehran Bank, has appeared before the FIA panel and stated that he cannot recall being given the money but that many donations came in during the said elections and that if any wrongdoing was proved he would return the money with interest. This seems too easy a manner to push aside a very serious charge. It is to be seen what other politicians have to say. The interior minister hinted recently that military officials had declined to appear in the inquiry. We need further details about this.

The fact is that what happened in 1990 is still very important today. Essentially the democratic will of the people was stolen from them by an institution, and an entire election manipulated to show an entirely different result. At a time when we still hear allegations of election rigging it is vital we get to the bottom of the matter. If an election can be intervened in by outside forces it makes the entire exercise in democracy rather futile. We must remember that polls cost a huge amount of taxpayers’ money and their outcome cannot simply by moulded to fit the interests of a particular bloc. For these reasons it is vital that we see all politicians and other players cooperate with the FIA. It is hard to believe that the Sharifs cannot recall being handed over a very large amount of money in a secret deal orchestrated by the then president Ghulam Ishaq Khan. Younis Habib, who then headed the Mehran Bank, has also given a statement that is impossible to believe by saying that the money was given to another Mr Sharif rather than the current prime minister. The repercussions from this case are widespread. We continue to live in fear of interventions in our democratic working. To overcome these, the Asghar Khan case must reach a definite conclusion.