ISLAMABAD/LAHORE:
Despite the resignation of Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US Hussain Haqqani, the government has a lot of firefighting ahead of it.
Memogate seems far from over.
Less than 24 hours after the resignation, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), moved to ensure that the controversy continues to haunt the government – cranking up the pressure with a petition in the Supreme Court, seeking an inquiry into the issue on Wednesday. The plea came despite Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani’s order for a probe – though the order was vague and unspecific. For its part, the government also made a supposed counter-move – calling a meeting on Friday of the multi-party parliamentary committee on national security.
But the opportunity created by the memogate is unlikely to be passed upon by an opposition that has been too busy with its own infighting to trouble the government.
That may no longer be the case.
Nawaz, in his petition, requested that the court summon the respondents, including President Asif Ali Zardari, Haqqani, Mansoor Ijaz, Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and Inter-Services Intelligence chief Ahmed Shuja Pasha, and demand an explanation.
Anyone found associated with the contentious memorandum should be charged with high treason, Nawaz said, questioning that, if there really was no truth to Mansoor Ijaz’s claims, why hadn’t a defamation suit been filed against the Financial Times which was the first to break the news almost 40 days ago.
Govt’s lost all credibility, says Imran
The PTI chief, meanwhile, was singing a tune similar to that of the PML-N chief when he said that since President Zardari had been implicated in the memogate, it was crucial that a supreme judicial commission be set up to conduct a transparent investigation.
Though he welcomed the appointment of Sherry Rehman as Pakistan’s new ambassador to the US, Imran stressed that Haqqani’s resignation in no way meant that the issue could be brushed under the carpet.
The government’s investigation institutions have lost all credibility, which is why only the Supreme Court should conduct the probe, he said, addressing press conferences in Lahore.
Parliamentary committee to take up issue
With all quarters using memogate as fodder against the current set-up, the government has decided to call a meeting on Friday of a multi-party parliamentary committee on national security.
Saying it was still undecided as to who would be summoned for a briefing, Senator Raza Rabbani, who heads the 17-member committee, added that the controversial memorandum would be one among many other issues taken up during the meeting. “There are a number of issues that popped up since we last met,” Rabbani said.
The parliamentary committee on national security has representation from all parties present in both houses of the Parliament.
The parliamentary probe is a welcome step; however, the best means of conducting an inquiry would be a high-powered judicial commission, Jamaat-e-Islami Senator Professor Khurshid Ahmed said. Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir and DG ISI Lt Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha should also be summoned to brief the members regarding the memo issue, PML-N’s Senator Ishaq Dar said in a letter to Senator Rabbani.
(Read: Analysis - A sting operation?)
Published in The Express Tribune, November 24th, 2011.
COMMENTS (10)
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No need to worry about Nawaz. He has no hopes and is already finished. I foresee a bitter defeat for him in the coming elections.
hahaha Nawaz shareef your time and game is up Sorry
Why would Mansoor Ijaz collaborate with Haqqani in writing the memo and then publish it? Can he go against his big masters? Such political matters do not require writing of memos from people who are already sitting in USA. I don't think he can take so much risk just for money. He seems to serve the cause of some powerful master who can provide him both protection and compensate money-wise too. The memo issue might have been started by Mansoor Ijaz on someone's signal. But the present government fully deserves the dirt it is facing.
Nawaz sharif is our last hope.We all have faith in u.Allah bless u in ur hurdles
The fact is that through this disputed memo,efforts are being made to target some high ups, such as president and the prime minister,but looks no success in this connection,because there is no hard evidence in the case. The only statement of Mansoor ijaz is not enough,according to story ,he is writer and messenger of the memo there is no third person. Constitution of a independent commission is the right way and solution of the problem,but as have seen,mere opposition is creating,a earthquake in the country's politics. The inventor of the existing crisis has not a credible past has been involved in such activities and demanding money from the Benazir government. Who had to go,has that's all
@ihtisham: really absurd, what a logic, so what you want people is to decide on the road and not in the supreme court, if paraliment cann't handle things, teh next institution is supreme court and not 'ROADS'.
if you cann't respect the law of the country, don't ask other to respect it, supreme court is there for a reason and not for the name.
if the cases are pending for that long, that's the fault of surpeme court but that doesnt' mean to take matters into your own hands.
and let me guess your comments is coming here to support PTI, no suprise,
@ihtisham: I agree with everything else you have to say. However, I would like to point out that I heard from a very senior lawyer on media recently that the clause regarding immunity of President and Governors is not absolute...yes it's quite possible that it won't ever be exercised because of political reasons...but the legal framework by itself does not allow this loophole to be exploited
According to the article 48 of the constitution of pakistan the president has got immunity & therefore can not pe called to supreme court or punished. Actually Nawaz shareef is giving time to his status quo brother zardari & taking the pressure off him. Because after this petition ppp would be able to defend the case & would simply say that we donot want to talk on this case, because the case is in the supreme court, & let the supreme court decide. NRO, NICL, HAJ, RENTAL POWER & PIA cases are still pending in supreme court after 1 year, how can supreme court decide this one in less than a year. Let me tell everybody PPP & PML(N) will help each other in difficult times & will unite against PTI.
I am expecting that Supreme Court of Pakistan will issue summons for Mansoor Ijaz to appear in the court at an appropriate time to record his statement with all the relevant evidences which he has been talking on the media time and again.
Since it is a matter of utmost importance, the matter cannot be left at the mercy of Mansoor Ijaz to play with our national integrity any more.
His claims may be true or completely false, but the truth has to be extracted from Mansoor Ijaz as writing an article in Financial Times or talking to Pakistani media does not mean that we should take things as granted.