The court was hearing an application filed by the judicial commission, which sought the extension of the deadline to complete the probe.
The court accepted the application and said that it was up to the commission whether it wants to go abroad to record Ijaz’s statements or call him to Pakistan.
During the hearing, Attorney General Maulvi Anwarul Haq told the court that the government did not have any reservations on the extension of the term given to the Memogate commission.
The attorney general also said that Canadian company Research In Motion (RIM) which carries the BlackBerry records has denied handing over the data required. The company said that if the Pakistani government wishes to obtain the data then it should send an application through the Canadian High Commission.
Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, heading the nine-member bench, said that Ijaz’s letter had been received which he had requested be kept undisclosed. The chief justice added that the letter will be sent to the Registrar so that the information provided in it can be used at an appropriate time.
Former ambassador to the US Husain Haqqani’s former counsel Asma Jehangir argued that everyone in the court was talking about Article 19 of the Constitution, but Ijaz’s letter, in contrast, was being kept a secret.
Jehangir also appealed against the extension of two-months given to the commission and requested that the court cut it down to one-month, but the court snubbed her request.
The Supreme Court had formed the judicial commission on December 30 last year and had given a four-week deadline to complete the investigations.
SC disposes off Haqqani's travel ban
The court accepted Asma Jehangir’s request of allowing her client, Haqqani to travel abroad to visit his children.
The court disposed off the travel ban but imposed that whenever the Memogate commission or the court summons Haqqani, he will have to comply and come back to Pakistan within a period of four days.
"I am glad that the Supreme Court has restored my right to travel, which had been rescinded without any charges being filed against me," Haqqani told Reuters after the decision.
"I will join my family in the US after discussions with the leaders of the Pakistan Peoples Party."
Haqqani had earlier filed an application requesting to allow him to travel abroad as he was barred from doing so owing to his alleged connection in the Memogate scandal.
Haqqani may travel to US soon
Husain Haqqani is expected to fly out of Pakistan early on January 31.
Express News on Monday reported that his initial destination is the UAE. However it is believed, that he may later join up with his family in the US.
US 'gratified' Pakistan lifts travel curbs on Haqqani
The United States said Monday it was "gratified" that Pakistan's highest court had lifted travel curbs imposed on Husain Haqqani, the country's scandal-hit former envoy to the United States.
"We are gratified that the government of Pakistan has lifted the travel ban on ambassador Haqqani -- specifically the Supreme Court of Pakistan -- and that he's free to travel as he chooses," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said.
"And we continue to expect that Pakistan will resolve this situation and other internal issues in a transparent manner and upholding Pakistani laws and constitution," Nuland told reporters.
Haqqani was forced to resign as ambassador to Washington over claims that he was involved in drafting a secret memo trying to enlist US help to curb the power of Pakistan's military. He denies the accusations.
The Supreme Court had restricted his travel and ordered judges to investigate who was behind the memo, heightening frenzied speculation that President Asif Ali Zardari could be forced out of office.
COMMENTS (33)
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@Rt. Rev. Wrong: Great, another non-lawyer talking legal nonsense. Study (and pass) the law degree and then express a comment please.
Nothing is going to happen to Haqanni . Let him go to USA . He will file a suit against the Izaj and will bring a lot of money to Pakistan .
@Noran Danish: Wishing Husain Haqqani to be foreign minister! you are under estimating this "genius".He is your future PM. And USA will ensure this. Look at the journey of Husain Haqqani : islami jamiat Talaba( that famous student wing of JI ); Nawaz Shareef who made him high comissioner in Sri Lanka; Bay Nazeer; Musharraf And again PPP! He is capable of selling any ideology to ascend up. Sky is his limit. He married Naheed Khan's sister when Naheed Khan was a big shot. Now he has married Isphahani who is a an important figure in Zardari Regime. Nobody can match his " skills". Once out of Pakistan, he has plans to rise and rise.
People wanted restoration of PCO judges and SC CJ to solve their problems and provide justice. What has SC done to provide justice to ordinary Paksitanis and the cases rotting in the courts for decades? Right or wrong everybody has a right to criticize the govt, but what are the achievements of high judiciary for which so many people have struggled? Time to do something useful for ordinary citizens.
Three words: "Nobody cares anymore!" This was always a tempest in a teapot, a distraction from the more important issues which face Pakistan. Lets give it a rest and focus on other things. Let Haqqani go where he pleases and, please, lets not give Ijaz any more of the attention which he appears to crave so desperately. A more competent and less slimy ambassador now sits in Washington and I'm sure somewhere there are female wrestlers anxious to have Ijaz emcee their event. Plus, the Supreme Court needs to get back to work interfering with the country's democratic process.
@Mobeen Malik: Mansoor Ijaz is a rich man and his counsel is still counting the heavy fee he received.
@Umar: Our judicial system is in a pathetic state. I wonder at the guts of Chaudhry that even when his judiciary is in such a state, he can afford adventures into Executive domain to rectify its maladministration. He should stop playing the game of politics and better pay attention to his fellows in judiciary.
SC must have gotten new marching orders from their military masters.
Is Mr. haqqani going to travelabroad on Government officers passport or on ordinary regular passport. Does he needs visa for Dubai or USA?
my friends every Gov create such issues to divert attention of people from real issues , that is Poverty , Corruption , Lawlessness and list goes on , just excuses to pass the time , shame on our media as well which gives lot of coverage to such issues and not consider the real problems faced by Pakistani people . Please nation ,rise and know these excuses to keep you silent from real issues , God bless Pakistan
This is called “muddayi sust aur gwah chust”. The foreign double agent’s lawyer is keener than the main character Mansoor. Why these lawyers do not show this much interest in poor people’s cases? What about rushing Qadri to his punishment? What about giving justice to M. Mai and Baloch or Abbottabad Commission? What a shameful example we are trying to set by brining the court to a foreign double agent, as if there is no other function of PCO SC and its judges.
As a result of 'big deal' held between top brass - memo gate story has come to an end - !
Four days. Four thousand years. Who is counting? The accused and the accuser are both out of the country , or will be soon. What's up Doc?
Who didn't the Govt send the request through the Canadian High Commission in the first place?
Another case shoved under the carpet! Bravo everyone involved!
Farce continues at the expenses of hand-to-mouth millions. Nero(s) continue playing flute while the country is burning.
Get over it my lords, this nation needs a break & you need more time to concentrate on Asghar Khan's petition in his life time and some time to look at missing persons.
fair enough.friendly opposition friendly courts friendly Gov friendly Media.the land of friendly people :-)
Congratulations mr Haqqani. Wish you be foreign minister of pakistan soon very soon. Glad to know a wrong decision is taken back. Haqqani the man of respect.
onlyn politicians in opposition can have faith in this judiciary
Mr. Haqqani can file criminal charges against Mansoor Ijaz for Identitiy Theft, a serious felony in US if he impersonated or pretended that he was Hussain Haqqani OR anyone else but Mansoor Ijaz. Mr. Haqqani has right to file a suit for civil damages in multi million $$ against Mansoor Ijaz or his family trust for demation and causing him pain and various losses. Do it Mr. Haqqani!
Heart-Breaking..(((:
Mansoor Ijaz can take any amount of time but Haqani has to return in four days. Where is the justice in this?
why cant CJ provide justice to Pakistanis suffering for last many many years? but I think then it will be difficult to score politics.
@Salim: It appears that you have a very short attention span. It might be in your interest to develop the ability to focus on an issue through to its completion.
Mansoor Ejaz will not come back even in the extended period.
He is an American which means he is more than a human being and supernatural.
The life of Mansoor Ejaz is more precious than the lives of ordinary Pakistanis.
lets sleep every issuse, like every other issue in this country.
Get over it my lords, this nation needs a break.
Once out of Pakistan, Mr Haqqani is not going to return. End of memo chapter !