*ISLAMABAD:* Former chief of army staff General (r) Mirza Aslam Beg hasmade startling revelations about the Asghar Khan case during hisappearance before the FIA.

He claimed that he had “warned the then spy chief Lt General Asad Durraniagainst dragging the military into political engineering” before thegeneral elections of 1990, reported a *local media outlet.link>*

He revealed this in his written statement submitted to a team of theFederal Investigation Agency (FIA) and to the Supreme Court (SC).

The FIA is investigating the alleged distribution of estimated Rs148 croresamong politicians to corrupt the 1990 elections in the country.

“I called [General] Asad Durrani and warned him to be careful in thehandling of those [ISI] funds. After this, I never again discussed thismatter with him [Durrani]. I gave him no names of politicians or the moneyto be distributed because this was entirely his domain, and he wasresponsible to report to the president,” Gen Beg said in the statement.

“Durrani violated the army’s rule by opening several accounts in the nameof 202 Survey Section, placed under his command for operationalintelligence purposes only. I came to know of this breach of trust, only in1996 when he so deposed in his affidavit before the Supreme Court. I havehad no knowledge who all operated this account. I knew Brig Hamid Saeed asan operational commander 202 Survey Section and not as the ISI accountholder and funds distributor to the politicians. He [Durrani] claims tohave distributed funds, and recorded in his handwritten notes as proof,which has no legality. Similarly, Durrani claims having distributed funds,with no witnesses, no written or verbal proof of such transactions. It is asheer lie. Durrani involved 202 Survey Section in this game intentionally,to involve the army in his sordid deed, so unbecoming of an officer of hisrank,” added Beg’s statement.

Beg further claimed in the statement that Durrani “got so close to PakistanPeople’s Party’s top leadership, that while in uniform he started attendingPPP Central Executive Committee meetings, which was reported to the-thenCOAS, Gen Abdul Waheed, who promptly retired him from service due to thefault of the officer”.

“In October 1993, when Benazir Bhutto returned to power, she offered anambassadorial job to Durrani, which he accepted and before proceeding toGermany he discussed the Game Plan with her, which was revealed by Durranihimself, in his handwritten confessional letter, he wrote from Bonn to theprime minister. In this letter, he talked about the two objectives of theconspiracy: To put Gen Beg on the mat and target the opposition,” Begfurther accused Durrani.

In the above-mentioned letter, Durrani also gave names of few politicians,who received Rs8.0 million, while the remaining Rs6.0 million was given toDirector External Intelligence (ISI), Beg further revealed. “He [Durrani]further said that operation was in the knowledge of the army high command.As a matter of fact, the election engineering by ISI had been going onsince 1975, and was in everybody’s knowledge,” claimed General Beg.

General Beg continued to reveal that “General Durrani after taking thecharge, requested me to place him under his command the 202 Survey Sectiondeployed in Sindh for better coordination of intelligence in the province.The 202 Survey Section, commanded by Brig Hamid Saeed, was therefore placedunder DG ISI for a period of one year, for intelligence purposes only”,read General Beg’s statement.

The government was preparing to hold the elections when army intelligenceinformed him that on orders of the President’s Election Cell, Younis Habibhad placed some funds at the disposal of ISI, for the logistic support ofthe coming elections, said the 88-year-old General.