Testimony via video link: SC bench to take up Haqqani’s plea

ISLAMABAD:

A 10-member bench of the Supreme Court will take up former ambassador Husain Haqqani’s application on Thursday (today), and decide if he will be allowed to record his statement in the memo case via a video link.

Earlier, on March 24, Haqqani had petitioned the apex court for equal treatment, and sought permission to record his statement remotely via a video link, as was done in the case of self-proclaimed whistle-blower in the memo case, Mansoor Ijaz. Haqqani had said he has grave security concerns because of many ‘frivolous’ and ‘sensational’ allegations levelled by Ijaz during the recording of his statements. He had said his family was fearful for his life in case he travelled to Pakistan.

Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry will head the larger bench that will examine the request. Earlier, the judicial commission probing the scandal had rejected Haqqani’s request to record his statement remotely.

Asma Jahangir, Haqqani’s counsel, will plead his case in the apex court. However, she had refused to argue his case before the commission.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 29^th, 2012.