Policemen stand guard in front of the Islamabad High Court building on January 24, 2012. — Photo by AFP/File

ISLAMABAD: The judicial commission probing the memo scandal was meeting in Islamabad on Friday, DawnNews reported.

During the proceedings at the Islamabad High Court (IHC) building, Zahid Bukhari who is the counsel for Husain Haqqani, Pakistan’s former ambassador to the US, told the commission that Mansoor Ijaz had admitted to have written the memo.

Moreover, Bukhari said that Haqqani had resigned from the position of ambassador voluntarily. He further said that his client also wanted a transparent investigation into the issue.

The counsel said Haqqani had complied with every directive of the commission other than the one requiring him to record his testimony in Islamabad. He said Haqqani was still prepared to record his testimony through a video-link.

“Mansoor Ijaz refused to appear before the parliamentary committee” which was looking into the memo scandal, Bukhari said, adding that Haqqani had appeared before that committee.

Responding to which, the commission said that the parliamentary committee was conducting a separate investigation into the subject.

The commission moreover said that Haqqani and Ijaz should not be compared as the latter was a foreign national whereas Haqqani was a Pakistani citizen and a former ambassador.

The commission, comprising of three judges, was meeting under the chairmanship of Balochistan High Court (BHC) Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa.

The scandal came to light when Ijaz, an American businessman, accused Haqqani of being behind a memo that accused the Pakistani military of plotting a coup in May and appealed to the Pentagon to help ward it off.

The accusation was followed by Haqqani’s resignation on Nov 22, 2011. The former ambassador has repeatedly denied any connection with the memo.

Opinion

Editorial

Taking cover
Updated 09 Jan, 2025

Taking cover

IT is unfortunate that, instead of taking ownership of important decisions, our officials usually seem keener to ...
A living hell
09 Jan, 2025

A living hell

WHAT Donald Trump does domestically when he enters the White House in just under two weeks is frankly the American...
A right denied
09 Jan, 2025

A right denied

DESPITE citizens possessing the constitutional and legal right to access it, federal ministries are failing to...
Closed doors
Updated 08 Jan, 2025

Closed doors

The nation’s fate has been decided through secret deals for too long, with the result that the citizenry has become increasingly alienated from the state.
Debt burden
08 Jan, 2025

Debt burden

THE federal government’s total debt stock soared by above 11pc year-over-year to Rs70.4tr at the end of November,...
GB power crisis
08 Jan, 2025

GB power crisis

MASS protests are not a novelty in Pakistan, and when the state refuses to listen through the available channels —...