Ijaz to appear before commission on January 16

US businessman Mansoor Ijaz's counsel Akram Sheikh on Monday told the judicial commission investigating the Memogate case that his client would appear before it on January 16. The commission directed the concerned authorities to immediately issue a visa to Mansoor Ijaz and beef up security arrangements for former ambassador Husain Haqqani. During the hearing, Akram Sheikh said his client was not being issued a visa to travel to Pakistan.
Shaikh also provided the commission with a copy of a petition filed in a sessions court, seeking the arrest of Ijaz. The counsel said that a false case was being registered against his client with a view to intimidating him. Sheikh further said that Ijaz had agreed to appear on January 16 before the judicial commission. However, he added, Ijaz's arrival in Pakistan was dependent on a condition that the BlackBerry conversation between Ijaz and Haqqani was made available to investigating authorities.
According to Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Maulvi Anwar ul Haq, a direction has already been sent to High Commission in the UK to issue Ijaz a visa after it receives a valid visa application from him. On the request of Akram Sheikh, the commission directed the federal government that in addition to Islamabad police, a contingent of army should provide security to Ijaz during his presence in Pakistan. The commission further said that the government would notify the Supreme Court in the event of a legal action against Ijaz.
A three-member commission headed by Baluchistan High Court Chief Justice Qazi Faez Esa resumed its hearing. Pak Army's JAG branch chief Brigadier Nau Bahar presented a written statement through the office of the Attorney General that the Army Chief had already submitted his written statement to the Supreme Court. It was also stated in the statement that as he had gone on a pre-planned visit to China he could not appear before the Commission personally.
Later, PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif, one of the petitioners in the Memo case, and former Ambassador Hussain Haqqani appeared before the commission and recorded their statements. Haqqani recorded his initial statement, which was examined by the Commission.
In his testimony to the commission, Haqqani refuted again that he drafted the controversial memo, which was later delivered to Admiral Mike Mullen, a top US military official. He denied any connection to a memo sent to Washington asking for the US help in preventing a purported army coup. Haqqani said he had no role in creating, drafting or delivering the memo to Admiral Mike Mullen. Haqqani appeared before the commission under tight security arrangements. His lawyer Zahid Bukhari said security concerns could prevent Haqqani from appearing before the panel in future.
Haqqani also asked the commission to grant him permission to travel to the US. However, the commission directed the attorney general to make arrangements to bring whatever Haqqani needed back from the US. Earlier, Haqqani informed the commission that the BlackBerry set he owned was the property of federal government and he would not give it to any forensic expert without federal government's permission. Later, he said his old BlackBerry set was at the official residence in the US as he could not have a chance to pick it from there.
During the session, a letter was delivered to the commission by Colonel Khalid from the ISI. The Chairman Commission asked the AGP to read the contents of the letter. In that letter, DG ISI Shuja Pasha told the commission that he was willing to attend an in-camera session of the memo commission and ready to brief them.
Responding to General Pasha's letter, Justice Isa said that if the DG ISI wanted to provide information he should do so via a sealed envelope. The commission would consider his request if the contents were found to be of a secrete nature, Justice Isa added.
The interior secretary, Khwaja Siddiq Akbar, expressed his inability when the court sought from him an assurance that no case against Mansoor should be registered on his arrival in Pakistan. He informed the court that he could do so only after consultations with the Law Division. The Commission showed displeasure on his answer. They warned him that his response could invite contempt of court proceedings and directed him not to leave the court room till adjournment of the hearing.
On one occasion, Ijaz's counsel Akram Sheikh said that his client had already issued a legal notice to the telephone company for making the conversation available. According to the company, Haqqani's consent was also needed to provide access to the conversation, he said. When asked about his client's consent, Haqqani's lawyer Zahid Bukhari could not offer a plausible answer. He questioned Akram Sheikh whether he had authentic Attorney to plead his client's case. On this, the commission directed Sheikh Akram to file his original attorney before the commission by January 16.