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

Stuck in the past
Updated 09 Jun, 2023

Stuck in the past

Dar's enduring fixation with the exchange rate suggests that he has learned nothing from past mistakes.
Unequivocal message
09 Jun, 2023

Unequivocal message

AN unmistakably forceful message has been sent out that puts to rest any notion of a house divided. The military top...
Early closure
09 Jun, 2023

Early closure

ON the face of it, closing shops early is a sound idea. Not only would the move help save energy during the stifling...
Qureshi returns
Updated 08 Jun, 2023

Qureshi returns

Powerbrokers fail to grasp that political legitimacy is drawn from public support and can only be contested through the democratic process.
Lawyer’s killing
08 Jun, 2023

Lawyer’s killing

THE shocking murder of Supreme Court lawyer Abdul Razzaq Shar on a Quetta thoroughfare on Tuesday raises a number of...
Infinite jest
08 Jun, 2023

Infinite jest

IF this government’s political record were to be described as dark comedy, its economic management would be a...