Memogate: Documentary evidence of possible coup, US helicopter movement, handed over

Mansoor Ijaz hands over documentary evidence. Says he had Haqqani's fears of coup verified through foreign agencies.


Web Desk March 01, 2012

LONDON/ISLAMABAD: Mansoor Ijaz handed over documentary proofs of a possible military takeover, with details of air control, movement of US helicopters and a conversation between President Asif Ali Zardari and Army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, Express News reported on Thursday.

Responding to a question raised by the Memogate commission via video link, Ijaz said that he had first met Zardari in 1995 and then again in 2009. “Husain Haqqani had also emailed me for a third meeting [with Zardari],” he added.

Ijaz further said he again got in touch with Haqqani after Osama bin Laden’s death. He said that the former US Ambassador [Haqqani] had said that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the army would never believe in the possibility of a memo reaching Admiral Mike Mullen through James Jones.

He said that after the publication his op-ed in the Financial Times, Husain Haqqani called him. Ijaz said that he told Haqqani that his op-ed must have caused the Ambassador some discomfort. Haqqani then confided to him that the information contained in the article was accurate, however, none of it could be publically admitted.

Ijaz added in his testimony that after the Abbottabad incident, Haqqani had approached him, citing fears that the Military in Pakistan was moving for a coup over the democratically elected government. To confirm what Haqqani was telling him, Ijaz said that he used his contacts with the intelligence agencies of different countries to verify this information. The findings were documented.

Justice Faiz Essa sealed the documents with directives for it to be handed over to the secretary of the commission.

COMMENTS (23)

meekal ahmed | 12 years ago | Reply

Where did this fellow get the information on "air movements"?

Khalid Pathan, for the millionth time, the US used a new "stealth" helicopter in the raid which is invisible to radar. No one, not even well-regarded defense experts knew of the existence of this helicopter and if one had not crashed at the site, no one would have still known. However, now they do -- except obviously you!

Khalid Pathan | 12 years ago | Reply The killing of Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan, by navy seals of the USA, using helicopters, without interception from Pakistan Air force is hard to believe. Instead of this memo gate commission which aims to find out the facts about this memo, especially the top most authority involved in it. What ever the Commission discovers now is not that important at this stage3. What must be determined is that who provided protection to OBL, in Pakistan. To an outsider it appears that OBL in Pakistan was treated as a hero and the ultimate power in Pakistan is not happy the way OBL is eliminated.
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