Haqqani’s lawyer Zahid Bukhari, talking to Express News, said that his client’s life is in danger and thus he wants his statements recorded via video link, just as Mansoor Ijaz’s statement was recorded.
Bukhari said that Haqqani had earlier appealed to the memo commission probing the Memogate scandal to record his statement via video link, but the commission asked him to refer it to the Supreme Court.
“If a person, who writes against Pakistan, can get his statements recorded via video link, then Haqqani can do it as well,” remarked Bukhari. “We will act according to the Supreme Court’s decision.”
Haqqani, who is currently in London, has been summoned by the memo commission on March 26. The commission had allowed Haqqani to travel abroad on the condition that he will come back to Pakistan within four days of his summon.
COMMENTS (37)
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The PCO SC judges can only bend over backwards for a rich American foreign agent and not treat him HH equal. If the court cannot treat them equal then there is no reason to believe that they would provide justice. Even a dumb person knows that HH is innocent till proven guilty. It is not his duty to prove his innocence but the prosecutor to prove his guilt. Even after it is proven that HH wrote and sent (which MI admits doing) the memo even then the malice and intentions have to be proven. By demanding equal treatment from the court HH and his lawyer has exposed the bias of the court which has been working not as neutral judges but prosecutors who have made the confessed writer and carrier of the memo and an open enemy of Pakistan as their darling witness. A man of MI’s character would have no credibility in any other country’s court.
@umair: Zahid Bukhari so far could not produce a single source of evidence to prove the innocence of his client…..
In a justice system a person is not required to prove his innocence, the onus of proving guilt lies with the other party which in this case is Mansoor Ijaz.
Can anyone please tell, what is Haqqani's crime?
@umair: "Zahid Bukhari so far could not produce a single source of evidence to prove the innocence of his client"
Actually it is exactly the opposite. Not a single proof of Haqqani's guilt has been produced. Mansoor Ijaz's statement that the memo was dicated by Haqqani has been unsupported by independent evidence. In Pakistan, as in most countries you ar einnocent until proven guilty. It is upto prosecution to prove Haqqani guilty. So far they have not done so.
@Parvez: You're right. But probably not in the way you want to be. A person's home is somewhere they're supposed to be able to feel wanted and safe. You guys have evicted him with your hostilities. I wouldn't go get shot just to prove my nationality to people who are the ones trash talking me. I'd give them an offensive hand gesture and a wink.
There is definitely something to hide. Haqqani's antics prove that the memo is genuine. He has not produced a single document to prove Mansoor Ijaz is lying. In fact Mansoor Ijaz has willingly provided all documents and evidence while Haqqani is running away from it.
Awww too bad Mr. Haqqani, seems like your US citizenship application process has been delayed, otherwise we (Pakistan) would definitely provide video link privileges as in the case of Mansoor Ijaz.
Till that the time you are granted the US citizenship, you will have to live with the green passport rules....sorrrrrryy!!!!!!
This is cheating. He claims to be Pakistani nationak whereas Ijaz is not. What about his commitments. He is not producing counter evidence to prove Mansur Ihaz wrong nor has he given his PIN or surrendered his privacy rights.
Our justice system has collapsed a long time back and they cannot enforce their own decisions. They just like other institutions are just passing their time.
If they allowed Mr. Haqqani to fly out Pakistan in the first place and for Mr. Mansoor to appear via video link then why not let him use the same video link to record his testimony.
And besides we have other things to worry about like hours and hours of load shedding, law and order etc. etc. This will turn out to be another wild goose chase.
@Hafiz Shah Ali:
His assurance was within the legal precedence of the country at the time but since the Supreme Court has allowed the video link to Mansoor Ijaz it has now become Haqani’s right to testify over video link too. Haqani deserves the same treatment otherwise its not a trial its persecution.
Asma Jahangir was his lawyer who presents his case not her guarantor. Since when has a lawyer become responsible if his/her client turns up in court?
Excellent. That is how should be. When one party gets concessions from the memo commission then the other party deserves the same treatment. Those who are complaining about it, where is your sense of fairness? Either the commission should have forced Mansoor Ijaz to come over as well or it has to let Haqani do the video link as well.
What's good for the goose is good for the gander. @Khurram Mansoor: I thought Mansoor Ijaz was an American, why was he witnessing in Britain!!! The SC is loosing its hard earned respect while indulging into politics and exceeding limits of not being biased. Pakistan is going through the phase it requires for democracy and development. Good job by Judiciary to align democracy and justice but there must not be contradictions that is a vital core of justice system.
@Khurram You wrote "Oh I thought Haqqani was a Pakistani national" Yes, that's why his life is in greater danger than Mr Ijaz's.
such a foolish trail it is.i hate such army which is busy in politics.
strong text
Pasha is gone but the Tamasha continues !!!!!!!! Show must go on !!!!!!!!
Bring this traitor back!
A quick check of SC's neutrality!
He is afraid of being proven guilty and being arrested in Pakistan. He just wanted to leave the country during memo investigations. The honorable supreme court and bench, should have never allowed Haqqani to leave Pakistan, even if it was on the condition that he would return to Pakistan on a four day notice, if summoned.
As long as he is in UK, Pakistani courts cant touch him, he will apply asylum and will get it, and most likely he will get advisory role for the intelligence agencies. Same old story repeated again and again before our eyes. I wonder why President did thank UK Government in past on his visit for asylum applications and political protection. Haqqani has proved he is coward and Please for Allah Sake remove Pakistan ambassador in UK. Can tribune take a look what harm he is doing to Pakistan and Pakistani community.
Beating the dead horse again!
@Usman: You Sir, you ought to be ashamed of your upbringing for making such a comment, and how wrong you are. Haqqani was never the foreign minister.
It notable,shouldn't disregard that, there is not documentary evidence on the record except a letter called memo,the same was not signed by anyone.
Ijaz has admitted time and again that he wrote the memo and submitted it to the pointed person who understood the memo not sustainable and thrown it out.
It mean,the document presented by Ijaz is also not acceptable. On the other hand, writer of the memo has been involved in opposing Pakistan 'nuclear programm and furthermore hatching conspiracies against Benazir Government In the light of such circumstances Ijaz is not a dependable witness in the eye of law.
hilarious
@Usman.
You have short memory. Haqqani was NOT Foriegn Minister, but Pakistan's Ambassador to USA. That said, I agree that Haqqani should go back to Pakistan, to appear before the commission. He made that commitment to return when he was allowed to go abroad.
This was expected.He will never come back. Assurance he gave to Supreme Court will turn out to be false. Asma Jahangir where are you................................
He was the foreign minister of this country, and now he is saying his life is in danger in the very country he was representing. Shame on him.
When your ambassador to the UK and now your ex-ambassador to the USA refuses to come to their country that they represent, then something is filthy wrong.
Haqqani's life is in danger because the Agencies are against him. Army could have provided fool-proof security to their prime witness Mansoor Ijaz. But in Haqqani's case, even the Army cannot be trusted. Now that a precedent has been set, he must be allowed to give evidence via video link.
Why not? if it's ok to accomodate a foreigner and self-confessed hater of Pakistan and its institutions than a Pakistani citizen has more rights and must be facilitated in this fair demand.
unpatriotic and coward.
running away aint u ...
Zahid Bukhari so far could not produce a single source of evidence to prove the innocence of his client..... But rather making pathetic statements which making fool of Pakistani nation.... This comedian should be directing stage dramas.... God knows how he is in the law profession :-S
Oh I thought Haqqani was a Pakistani national