The judicial commission probing into the memo scandal on Saturday issued orders for conducting forensic tests on Mansoor Ijaz’s Blackberry phone in London.
Secretary for the memo commission, Raja Jawad Abbas, has been directed to go to London in this regard.
Earlier, Husain Haqqani’s counsel Zahid Bukhari summed up his arguments wherein he told the court that Ijaz was of dubious character and not been able to back up his statements with proof.
Mansoor Ijaz, through his counsel had said that he was ready to present his Blackberry handset and computer to the secretary of the commission for inspection, however, any inspection would take place in London.
The commission then directed the secretary to proceed to London for forensic examination of Blackberry phone of Mansoor Ijaz allegedly used in the preparation of the memo. The Commission also rejected the application filed by Hussain Haqqani through his counsel Zahid Hussain Bokhari, seeking exhibit of the evidences and documents produced by Haqqani in the rebuttal to the evidences produced by Mansoor Ijaz.
The commission, headed by Balochistan High Court Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa and comprising Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Iqbal Hameedur Rehman and Sindh High Court Chief Justice Musheer Alam conducted its proceedings at the IHC.
Chief Justice Faez Issa directed the secretary to seek extension in the time for completing the probe, as it did not “have any idea about the time limit required for forensic test of handsets”.
The time duration for compiling the report was going to end on May 15.
“The report of the forensic examination should be in simple terminology which could be understandable by the layman and should be signed by the expert along with his affidavit,” Justice Faez Isa directed.
However, Sajid Tanooli, counsel for Hussain Haqqani, objected that forensic test of Ijaz’s handset at this stage should not be conducted because right of producing evidence was over.
During the proceedings, Justice Qazi Hussain Isa also observed that neither the record of Hussain Haqqani phone bills was directly provided from the company nor the commission had been given the documentary record.
Husain Haqqani’s lawyers later decided to boycott the proceedings of the commission saying forensic examination of Mansoor Ijaz’s Blackberry after the completion of arguments was against the law.
