Supreme Court building in Islamabad.—File photo

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry on Thursday refuted news headlines regarding the Supreme Court’s remarks on the parliament, DawnNews reported.

The chief justice said that the court had said nothing about the parliament and impeachment of the president, and that the apex court fully respects the parliament.

Former ambassador to the US Husain Haqqani’s counsel, Asma Jahangir concluded her arguments before a nine-member bench, headed by Justice Iftikhar, here on Thursday.

Asma read out former US National Security Advisor General James Jones’ to the court. According to the general’s statement Haqqani had no involvement in the memo, she said.

The chief justice asked her why she pays more importance to a foreign general’s statement if the Pakistani Army chief accepts the memo’s existence.

Earlier on Wednesday, Asma Jehangir pleaded to the court to summon American businessman Mansoor Ejaz to appear before the bench for cross questioning.

“If the trial is to take place at the apex court, then Mansoor Ejaz should be called. We are geared up to cross-question him,” she said.

Asma argued that the petitions are not maintainable because they are vague and based on assumptions, quoting several judgments related to non maintainability of petitions.

Moreover, she also said that a judicial probe could not meet all the angles of inquiry which a parliamentary committee could.

Investigation into memo issue would be more transparent under the judiciary, the chief justice observed.

The chief justice also noted that Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani did not deny the memo’s presence, adding that although President Asif Ali Zardari did not submit his rejoinder, it does not mean he denied the existence of the memo.

The Chief Justice said, “You may call a matter of national security and solidarity a political question. We should bring to an end the attitude of concealing things. We work under only and only the Constitution and the law,” he added.