Video-conferencing: 10-member SC bench to hear Haqqani’s plea today

KHUDAYAR MOHLA

ISLAMABAD: A 10-member bench of the Supreme Court to hear petition filed by former Pakistan ambassador to the US Hussain Haqqani today (Thursday). In his petition, Haqqani has sought a seeking video link facility to record his statement.

The bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry would take up the matter after the Memo Commission rejected Haqqani’s request for such facility.

Haqqani, through his counsel Asma Jahangir, filed a petition before the SC on March 24 demanding an equal opportunity to record his statement from London as it was done in the case of Mansoor Ijaz, the star witness in the Memogate scandal.

In his application, Haqqani said he had grave security concerns because of many “frivolous and sensational” allegations levelled by Mansoor Ijaz against him. According to Haqqani, many intelligence agencies are in contact with Ijaz and that his family is fearful for his life in case he travels to Pakistan.

Tariq Asad advocate, who has also filed a petition in the Memo Commission case, has however, contended that the CMA filed by Haqqani was tantamount to defiance of the orders of this court. According to Haqqani is not entitled to the treatment that was extended to Ejaz.

“Ijaz is an American national and is not subject to law and Constitution of Pakistan whereas Haqqani is a Pakistani citizen and not even holding the American citizenship,” Asad argued.

He further said that Haqqani was not entitled to the right of equal protection under Article 25 of the Constitution as he was not similarly placed as Ijaz.

“He [Haqqani] is also obliged to comply with Article 5 of the Constitution being citizen of Pakistan whereas the said provision does not apply to Mansoor,” Asad further contended in his application.