Slowly and steadily, the Chaudhary brothers will accept their role in plundering millions of Rupees from the Finance Corporations hence robbing the poor of their total savings…
Shujaat says Beg offered him massive funds
By Rauf Klasra
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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, former Chief Minister of Sindh, Ajmal Khan, ex-Federal Minister, Jam Mashooq, Dost Mohammad Faizi, and Adnan son of Sartaj Aziz.