Another petition filed in Pak SC to end political interference of ISI

Islamabad, Feb 29(ANI): Another petition has been filed before the Supreme Court asking it to shut the political wing of Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) by chairman of Al-Jihad Trust, Habib Wahabul Khairi.

The petitioner, Khairi, who is known for being a counsel in the Supreme Court's 1999 famous judgment related to judges' appointment criteria has alleged former Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto of forming the ISI's political cell for his personnel interests in 1975.

"The purpose of my petition is to end ISI's interference in political affairs of the state, as it is a violation of fundamental rights," The Express Tribune quoted Khairi, as saying.

Air Marshal (Retd) Asghar Khan had also filed a similar petition in 1996, appealing the court to look into allegations that the ISI had provided Rs 140 million to create the Islamic Jamhoori Itehad to harm Benazir Bhutto's election campaign.

Khairi was also Khan's counsel in the 1996 case against ISI when the Supreme Court took it up.

A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, would listen to Khairi's arguments in the court.

Khairi has also made Beg and Durrani respondents in his application and requested the court to order closing down ISI's political wing permanently.

He has asked the court to make sure the recovery of the distributed money from political parties including Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), keeping in view the present value of the money and declare all those politicians ineligible for their corrupt practices in the elections. (ANI)