Islamabad, July 27 - Former ISI chief Asad Durrani has acknowledged that he and military intelligence (MI) officials had distributed Rs. 140 million among politicians to prevent the Pakistan People’s Party coming to power in the 1990 general election.

In a statement submitted to the Supreme Court, Durrani said the amount distributed by him was approximately Rs. 70 million. The remaining amount was deposited in a special ISI fund and subsequently distributed by MI officials.

Durrani further said he had received the funds from the then army chief General (retired) Mirza Aslam Beg.

Ijlal Haider Zaidi, a member of then President Ghulam Ishaq Khan’s election team, had provided the names of politicians who should be provided funds, he said. The money was doled out on the directions of Beg.

Durrani said he would reveal the names of officers who helped distribute money to influence the 1990 polls in a sealed envelope.

A three-judge bench headed by chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry is hearing a petition filed in 1996 by former air force chief Asghar Khan, who alleged that intelligence agencies had influenced the political process before the 1990 election by providing millions of rupees to politicians to create a front against the PPP.

The apex court will resume hearing the case on July 30. PTI