After having been unable to obtain the PIN and blackberry sets of Husain Haqqani so far, the memo commission on Monday sought decrypted version of the statements sent by the former ambassador to the US to the Foreign Office (FO) in 2011, so as to find a possible hint about the memorandum in those messages. As Haqqani ‘violated’ his own affidavit submitted to the Supreme Court and did not appear before the commission to record his statement, the commission expressed “great restraint and extensive grace” and announced to provide him another opportunity to appear before the commission on next date of hearing.
It directed former foreign secretary Salman Bashir, present Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani and Head of the US Desk in FO Sohail Khan to appear before the commission on next date of hearing with a copy of contract agreement of the former ambassador Husain Haqqani, SoPs, briefings, protocols, guidelines for the politically-appointed ambassadors and other relevant record that could help the commission establish the nature of the job and duties of a political appointee. Due to sensitivity of the information, the commission would hold in-camera proceedings. Earlier, Foreign Office director told the commission that the telegrams containing sensitive information from Pakistani embassies abroad were received in the FO in an encrypted version and only an expert having the ‘key’ could decrypt it. Haqqani did not appear before the commission on Monday for recording his statement due to security concerns and his counsel requested the commission to adjourn the proceedings until the Supreme Court passed an order on his application for recording his statement via video link from London as the star witness Mansoor Ijaz was allowed. However, the commission rejected the request with an observation that there was no comparison between Ijaz and Haqqani, as the former was a foreign national and the latter was a Pakistani citizen and government servant. The commission also referred Article 5 of the constitution which deals with loyalty to the state and added that it applied to each Pakistani citizen wherever he may be. It further said that Mansoor Ijaz, a US citizen, was not bound to obey the Pakistani constitution. Commission Chairman Justice Qazi Faez Isa asked the deputy attorney general what the government of Pakistan could do to bring Haqqani back to Pakistan if he refused to come back. He observed that Haqqani had put the government in an embarrassing situation by saying that it could not provide him security. “You cannot provide security to your own former ambassador,” he addressed the deputy attorney general.
The commission was astonished that Haqqani did not express any kind of threat to his life on the last hearing. “Haqqani is bound to obey the constitution unless he revokes Pakistani nationality,” Justice Isa remarked. Deputy Attorney General told the commission that neither Haqqani nor his counsel conveyed any security concerns to his office.
Justice Isa further said that Haqqani served as Pakistan’s ambassador to Sri Lanka during 1990s when there was civil war in that country and added now he was not coming to Pakistan due to security reasons. Akram Shaikh and other lawyers asked the commission to initiate contempt of court proceedings against Haqqani for disobeying the commission orders. They were of the view that Haqqani had submitted an affidavit to the Supreme Court that he would be available on a four-day notice at Islamabad to record his statement, but he did not do so. However, Zahid Bukhari, the counsel of Husain Haqqani, opposed any kind of proceedings against his client, saying he had not refused to come to Pakistan rather did not come as he felt threatened from the intelligence agencies of 24 countries that were in contact with Mansoor Ijaz.
Yaseen Malik: Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front Chairman Yaseen Malik in his statement said that he would retire from his public life if proven that he ever met any RAW official during his thirty years of political life. He told the commission that Mansoor Ijaz had tried to arrange his meeting with the RAW chief but he refused.
“Mansoor Ijaz called me to have a lunch with him when he was in Haryana (India) to attend a symposium. I went to his room and in the meantime a person appeared there to whom Ijaz introduced me as his Indian businessman friend. He asked me if I wanted to meet RAW chief… I declined and left the room within 15 minutes,” he told the commission. Akram Shaikh would inform the commission in-writing by March 31st if he wanted to cross-examine Yaseen Malik or not. Malik also claimed that he had thrown a shoe at Ijaz at a gathering in India after he “abused Kashmiri Muslims”.
If they can allow a proclaimed criminal, an established offender and fugitive (of US Law Agencies) the luxury of video-link, then why not the other party. Haqqani has all the reasons to ask for video facility, as he fears the agencies. We would not like to see any further addition to list of missing-persons. Or do you?
court is just trying to saw the sawdust.
If he was sincere, why would he leave Pakistan? The only thing he fears now, if he come to Pakistan and find himself guilty or entered in exit control list! His all efforts to flee Pakistan will then be wasted and he certainly doesnt want that!
The wheels of justice must turn. Do the justices need any more proof that haqqani is a traitor and guilty? If he is not punished for not appearing in court, then everyone else will feel that they have the same right. Justices are bringing it upon themselve by not enforcing the law and not delivering verdicts. It seems that Justices are not in control, the criminals are. Haqqani made a promise to come back. He broke that promise. Can he be trusted anymore. How could he not feel safe living in the prme minister's house? If the PM hose is not safe then no other place is safe in Pakistan. If that is the case then what are Pakistanis supposed to feel about the security of the country?
HH has no defense. This is clear to even a child. But like a typical criminal, he managed to leave the country and wil never come back.
Wow. Courts are annoyed if Haqani has requested that he may also be provided to give his statement with the kind of facilities provided to Mansoor Ijaz. No judge was bothered at all when Ijaz had flatly refused to come to Pakistan and present himself before the court.
SHAHID HUSSEIN QABOOLPURIA,
LAHORE, PAKISTAN
At the very first instanc he should not have been allowed by the apex court to go abroad. His reluctance simply tells the whole story.If he is so clean he should have no fear.The commission should waste no more time and announce the judgement.Just imagine that he kept changing his black berrys' and have lost them.Was it a safety pin? Blackberris costly itm and can not be thrown or misplaced that too of an ambassdor that too inUSA.My God have pity on this nation
For apex court it should be read as Judicial Commission on memo gate.
These judges are a joke. Whats so hard about making a decision. The evidence is there. They are only supposed to take the evidence provided to them to come to a conclusion. If haqqani lost his blackberry, too bad for him. Hang this traitor!!!!
A coward all the way….
What are we witnessing here a soap opera?
Our Agencies are brutal. People go missing and then we find their dead bodies. Judges cannot do a bit about it. Haqqani must not return to Pakistan. He will be a fool if he believes any commitment made by these Judges which community itself is now highly politicised under the leadership of Iftikhar Chaudhry. There is nothing judicial about our higher judiciary. They are a political party having their own axe to grind.
If anything Mr.Haqqani's conduct now proves the charge against him.
Haqqani has wriiten the memo..He is coward and fear for his life. Haqqani and Zardari should be hanged publicly……Traitors of the highest degree
Uzair Ahmed
London/Lahore
In any country if you don't show up after court summons, you would be arrested for disobeying court orders and would be injail till next court hearing.
Where is Asma Jahangir? She should be before court for obstruction of justice. Criminal lawyers are responsible for most of the injustices in Pakistan.
Now when all sides have failed to present any evidence to prove the claims made by Ijaz, it is sort of embarrassing for not only the military establishment, the media, the petitioners but also for the apex court, who in a departure from all judicial precedent, allowed this ‘star witness’ to record his statement outside the country. This would probably be the first and the only case in Pakistan’s judicial history when not only the counsels but secretary to the Judicial Commission (which is part of the judiciary), goes abroad to hear a witness who has an established track record of spreading venom against Pakistan on many occasions. It is most unfortunate as well that Haqqani’s request to record his statement via video link has been turned down. Apex court and Memo commission proved them highly partial and unbiased in this case, crossing all the levels of immorality. Both in Islam and our constitution there is an equal treatment for accused and alleged ( until proven guilty). Shame on memo commission.
Comments are closed.