Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Calamity of Ex-Servicemen Society - 7


Shaikh Mohommad wrote:

Really, I thought the threat to Pakistan's very existence comes from Army Generals who have usurped the power by brute force and they are not interested in relinquishing it.

Shaikh Mohommad
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Dear Shaikh Sahab,

General Retd. Mirza Aslam Beg has become A Knight in The Shining Armour for Civil Society, Democracy, Restoration of Independent Judiciary and even Athenian democracy (sometimes called Direct democracy) developed in the Greek city-state of Athens in Pakistan but look at his Dirty Past. Nowadays Private TV Channles have no shame they again and again call these three Rogues Aslam Beg, Asad Durrani, and Hamid Gul on their TV Channels and ask them to suggest measures to solve Pakistan's Problem. These so-called TV Anchors are least bothered to even learn that these three are themselves a problem not solution.

Former Chief of the Army Staff General [R] Mirza Aslam Beg

Lt General Retd. Asad Durrani [Former ISI Chief/MI Chief]

Lt. General (Retd) Hamid Gul [Former ISI Chief/MI Chief]

For your kind perusal,

Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain [Former Prime Minister of Pakistan]


Shujaat says Beg offered him massive funds

DAWN/The News International, KARACHI 23 April 2003, Wednesday, 20 Safar 1424

http://www.karachipage.com/

http://karachipage.com/news/Apr_03/042303.html

ISLAMABAD: Leading politician Ch Shujaat Hussain has reopened the controversy over Army's role in politics by admitting that he and his cousin Ch Pervez Elahi were offered millions of rupees by the then Army chief General Mirza Aslam Beg in 1991 for political purposes from Mehran Bank accounts. Mehran Bank scandal had cost Rs 9.92 billion to the national exchequer. Ch Shujaat is the first politician to openly confirm that he was offered massive money for political purposes by a sitting Army chief in 1991 for political purposes.

Asghar Khan - former Air Chief Marshall of the Pakistan Air Force, Chairman of the Tehrik-e-Istaqlaal political party, and a man renowned for his integrity and clarity - vociferously denounces Pak Army and intelligence agencies' interference in political process via distribution of cash to favored politicians. He explains how: (a) Army officers are obligated to obey only lawful commands of their superiors and should be prosecuted for bribery of politicians; (b) intelligence officials do not need a lawyer but only their conscience to decide which order are illegal; (c) there have never been any elections free from fraud since mid-70s; and (d) successive Pak governments have deliberately dragged ISI into domestic politics to suit their purpose. This interview was recorded in 2009 as part of "Policy Matters" program. REFERENCE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-r8-w5Cawrs [Courtesy: Kashif H Khan]

A Khan: ISI Bribery of Pak Politicians -1/2


Shujaat in an exclusive interview with The News revealed many secret tales of his political life that started in 1981 after the murder of his father Ch Zahoor Elahi. The News will carry on Thursday an exclusive profile of Ch Shujaat Hussain with the title of "The new political godfather reveals all" in which Ch Shujaat Hussain spoke on sensitive and secret issues such as development of his political links with General Zia, hanging of Bhutto, Nawaz Sharif's period in power, his differences with Nawaz Sharif, his jail period in Adalaya, and emergence of differences between Nawaz Sharif and General Musharraf over the Kargil crisis, role of Mian Sharif in Pakistan politics, formation of Kings' party (PML-Q), former NAB Chairman General Amjad's refusal to meet him despite General Musharraf's request, and his pro-military role during the three-year tenure of General Pervez Musharraf.

A Khan: ISI Bribery of Pak Politicians -2/2


Ch Shujaat Hussain revealed that one day he received a message from the then Army chief Mirza Aslam Beg that he wanted him to come to his Army House residence in Rawalpindi around 4 pm. He was asked to accompany his cousin Ch Pervez Elahi. According to Shujaat, when they reached the residence of the then army chief, Beg was wearing sleeveless shirt and looked very relaxed. Beg, Shujaat said, told them about his plan to give them massive funds for election campaign from the platform of the IJI.

A Khan: ISI's Role in Pak Politics -1/2


Ch Shujaat said he was surprised as the Army chief made the offer without any formality or reluctance. According to Ch Shujaat's observation, General Beg was not expecting reply in negative from them because whoever earlier met him at the Army House could not dare to decline his lucrative offers. Shujaat said Mirza Aslam Beg told them that instead of opening the bank accounts with their own names, they should hire a front man and account would be opened in his name in a bank in Karachi.

A Khan: ISI's Role in Pak Politics -2/2


Beg further explained that on his orders the money would continue to be transferred in the bank account and they would consume those funds on the campaign of religio-political alliance to win elections against the PPP. However, Hussain said, he politely declined the offer that greatly surprised Mirza Aslam Beg. Shujaat said he told the then army chief that he had never done such dirty politics by taking money from illegal channels specially from military generals.

Shujaat said he explained to the surprised general that usually he used to give funds to his own political lieutenants and party men to contest elections from his party platform. He said he also told the general that many MNAs and MPAs used to get money from him to meet expenses of their election campaigns. He said he told General Beg that he would not take a single penny from him. Shujaat said when Beg found him firm in refusing his offer, he looked annoyed and tried to press him into accepting his offer. Gen Beg, according to Shujaat, told them that then they should prepare a list of contesting MNAs and MPAs who could be ready to take funds from him to
contest elections against the PPP.

Chaudhry admitted that keeping General Beg's military might in view and fearing that he would get more aggressive against them if they resisted his offer, he told the general that he would soon come back to him with the list of contesting politicians who would be ready to take funds. But, Shujaat said, he never went back to General Beg with the list because he did not believe in such politics. The Mehran Bank scandal rocked the country when the Supreme Court started proceedings on Asghar Khan's application.

Later Naseerullah Khan Babar submitted papers in the Supreme Court in which the names of the beneficiaries of funds were given. The list contained names of all those who received funds from Mehran Bank through General Beg. Asghar Khan in his application sought proceedings against the General Beg and former ISI DG Asad Durrani for distributing funds among politicians. They were accused of distributing Rs 140 million among different politicians.

Following were alleged to be the beneficiaries:

Nawaz Sharif, former Prime Minister,

Farooq Leghari, former president,

Jam Sadiq, former Sindh Chief Minister,

Altaf Hussain, MQM Chief,

Yousaf Memon, advocate, for disbursement to MNA Javed Hashmi and others,

Liaquat Jatoi, former Chief Minister Sindh,

Afaq Ahmad of MQM, Imtiaz Sheikh, Advisor to former Chief Minister of Sindh,

Afzal Khan, ex-Federal Minister,

Jam Mashooq,

Dost Mohammad Faizi, and

Adnan son of Sartaj Aziz.

DAWN/The News International, KARACHI 23 April 2003, Wednesday, 20 Safar 1424

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