Asghar Khan case convicts should apologize to the nation: PM

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf Friday termed the Supreme Court’s verdict in Asghar Khan case as the victory of nation, Geo News reported.
Addressing a press conference here, the Prime Minister said the truth had finally seen the light.
He said late Shaheed Benazir Bhutto had said that establishment “snitched” the elections of 1990 by bankrolling politicians that too using funds form national exchequer.
The Prime Minister said Benazir Bhutto had always said that the establishment stole the elections.
“She used to say the nation has been short-changed of their mandate. Today, she should be smiling down at us from her heavenly abode”, said he.
PPP would have formed the government in 1990 if the elections were not rigged, the PM said retrospecting.
He said, "The history has been made as history has had us stand exonerated whereas those who contrived this hideous design sitting in the confines of their drawing rooms have themselves become history now."

“History stepped forward to speak for us and fought our case successfully as facts cannot be belied forever”, he said.
Prime minister added that there is no doubt that illegal means were used to defeat the PPP in 1990 elections and the bribers, the bribed, and the plotters of this conspiracy owed an explanation to the nation.
“The faces of all the accomplices in the crimes against the nation should be unmasked. They should beg nation’s pardon for their wrongdoings”, PM Ashraf said.
He assured the nation this case would be investigated in the light of SC order and all the money would be recovered.

“Those involved should be sentenced. This was injustice to all the people of Pakistan”.
He said the tactics used to defeat some candidates and ensure victory of some others was tantamount to murder of democracy.
Replying to a question he said no election cell exists during this era.
To a question he said that FIA will investigate according to the constitution and the finds will be presented to the nation and those found responsible would not be spared.
He said ensuring the elections were free and fair was the top priority of the government and all out efforts were being made in this regard.
Earlier, Supreme Court Friday recommended legal proceedings against a former head of intelligence and former army chief over allegations that politicians were bribed to stop the current ruling Pakistan People's Party from winning the 1990 election.
It was a landmark ruling from the Supreme Court 16 years after retired air marshal Asghar Khan filed a case, accusing the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency of doling out money to a group of politicians.
Pakistan has had three bloodless military coups in its history and been
ruled by four military rulers.
The late former president Ghulam Ishaq Khan, retired army chief Aslam Baig and retired ISI chief Asad Durrani "acted in violation of the constitution by facilitating a group of politicians and political parties", chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry said.
Khan died in 2006. He became president in 1988 upon the mysterious death in a plane crash of military dictator Zia-ul-Haq. Baig retired as army chief in 1991 and Durrani from the ISI in 1993.
"Their acts have brought a bad name to Pakistan and its armed forces as well as secret agencies in the eyes of the nation," Chaudhry said, ordering the federal government to "take necessary steps under the constitution and law against them".
The top judge also said that legal proceedings should be initiated against the politicians, who allegedly received donations to spend on the 1990 general election campaign.
The identities of the politicians in question were not named in the court order.
Chaudhry ordered Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency to initiate a
"transparent investigation against all of them and that if evidence was
sufficient, then that the men should face trial".
He said neither the ISI, military intelligence nor any other agency had any role to play in political affairs of the country, the formation of any government or interfering in any elections.
"Involvement of the officers/members of secret agencies in unlawful activities, individually or collectively calls for strict action being, violative of oath of their offices," said the court ruling.