SC constitutes new bench to hear Asghar Khan case

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) on Saturday constituted a new bench for hearing the Asghar Khan case.

A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Justice Gulzar Ahmed and comprising Justice Faisal Arab and Justice Ijazul Ahsan will begin hearing of the case from Monday.

The previous bench, headed by former chief justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar, was dissolved after his retirement.

The attorney general,  FIA DG and other respondents in the case have been issued notices over the matter.

During the hearing on January 11 this year, the FIA recommended to close the case due to insufficient evidence but the former chief justice rejected the proposal.

The FIA is expected to present progress made in the case on Monday.

The case concerns the distribution of millions of rupees to politicians through Islami Jamhoori Ittehad (IJI) in order to topple the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) government in the 1990’s.

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry, while reacting to the decision by the apex court, took to twitter and said that it was a good sign.

He announced that Prime Minister Imran Khan had directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to implement Supreme Court’s orders over the matter.