Enough of the dilatory tactics
Another lease of life has been given to the memo commission after an earlier two month extension. The three member commission was formed by the Supreme Court during the hearing on the maintainability of the petitions filed by Nawaz Sharif and others in the memo case. The commission was asked to complete its inquiry in one month.
Soon after receiving the notice about the formation of the commission, Mansoor Ijaz, the principle character in the memo affair, wrote a letter to the judicial body saying he was ready to fly to Islamabad while his counsel assured that “he (Ijaz) will arrive here whenever he will be asked by the commission.” The time allotted to the commission expired without it being able to record Ijaz’s statement on account of the latter’s dilatory tactics. Hussain Haqqani, who had already arrived in Pakistan negating claims by a section of the media that he would never return to the country, however expressed fears that he would be murdered if he moved out of the Prime Minister House as he had been branded a ‘traitor’ and a ‘Washington lackey’ by powerful quarters. However, when called by the apex court, he readily presented himself amidst strict security. Mansoor Ijaz, on the other hand, continued to change the dates of his arrival till finally telling the court that he would only record a video statement from Pakistan’s embassy in London. The request was readily granted. At its last sitting, the memo commission hearing rejected a similar request by Haqqani ordering him to reach Pakistan within four days.
A lot of water has flown under the bridges since the memo commission started its hearings. If the idea was to implicate Zardari in the case, the petitioners have failed to establish any link between the memo and the president. Evidence has appeared on the other hand that puts the credibility of Mansoor Ijaz in serious doubt. The ISI chief who was keenly involved in the case has retired. There is a perception that the commission has consumed enough time and should be asked now to come out with its conclusions without further delay.