ISLAMABAD:
In response to Mansoor Ijaz’s allegations, Chairman Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) Yasin Malik requested the Supreme Court on Saturday that he should be allowed to become a party before the commission investigating the Memogate scandal.
In his application, submitted through his counsel, Zafar Ali Shah, Malik requested the court to provide him an opportunity to appear before the commission, so that “the truth and whole truth” could be recorded.
During cross-examination before the commission, Ijaz, the whistleblower of the Memogate scandal, gave a statement that Malik, at the instance of US government, had met then chief of India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).
In his application, Malik directly addressed Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, stating that he felt a ‘cleverly calculated mischief’ in Ijaz’s statement.
His counsel stated in the application, “Since my client is not a party to the proceedings but has been named, an opportunity needs to be provided to him to respond to the statement.”
Shah said that his client held relevant information that he wished to depose before the commission in order to assist it.
“My client also considers it appropriate to state that a previous attempt was made by Ijaz to show him in poor light,” the counsel said.
“My client cannot state all the facts in this communication, as it is neither advisable nor in public interest to do so,” Advocate Shah said in the request.
Submission to commission
On Saturday, Malik’s wife Mushal also submitted an application to the judicial commission probing Memogate, in response to Ijaz’s assertion that he arranged his meeting with Raw chief. After deliberations, the head of the commission decided to convince all the parties to delete the part of the testimony regarding Malik.
Akram Sheikh, counsel of Mansur Ijaz, also agreed on the condition that if Malik is allowed to become party, the then RAW chief may also be summoned for cross examination.
The commission gave sometime to Mushal Malik to discuss the issue with her husband and consult a lawyer on whether Malik’s grievance will be satisfied if the section in the testimony about him is deleted.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY QAISER ZULFIQAR IN ISLAMABAD
Published in The Express Tribune, March 18th, 2012.
COMMENTS (5)
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Well done Malik... :)
All the parties playing their own games. Yasin Malik can challenge Mansoor Ijaz to submit the proofs he had, but he will not do that. Finally the judicial commission is going to be a laughing stock wasting time and money on this unnecessary episode.
Why is he interfering? This whole memo gate scandal needs to be resolved as soon as possible and why did and who allowed Haqqani to leave Pakistan in the first place...
The commission never asked Mansoor Ijaz the most important question. Why did he actually write and delivered the memo if he now claims that Gen Pasha and Kayani are true professionals? Why Mansoor Ijaz has been changing his loyalties? Mansoor Ijaz claims to be a successful businessman if Hussain Haqqani tells him to go and jump in the ocean would he? How innocent is this guy and why the commission is so soft on him? Why the commission did deny JKLF’s leader to talk about the credibility and accusations of MI? Unless MI is most neutral and credible person there is no case. The burden of proof is on Mansoor Ijaz not on Hussain Haqqani.
How the Yasin Malik's advovate dared to enter in the SC with such an irrelivant request . The hounor of courts in Pakistan is now on stake ,and it has to be restoted for the shake of democracy in the country.