Mansoor Ijaz's counsel asks for delay in Memo commission hearings

Advocate Akram Sheikh says he has to travel to the US for a medical check-up, and his presence is vital for the case.

ISLAMABAD: After Husain Haqqani, Advocate Akram Sheikh, the counsel for Mansoor Ijaz, the central player of memogate controversy, in a written application has requested the Supreme Court to delay fixing a hearing of Husain Haqqani’s case beyond April 20 given his travel commitments.

The case was being fixed for April 19, Advocate Sheikh’s application said. Within it, he requested the court for taking up the case after April 20 claiming the Chief Justice had granted him general adjournment for all his cases between April 12-20 so that he could travel for a medical check-up abroad. Advocate Sheikh has already left for USA, according to the statement.

The presence of Ijaz’s counsel is vital for the hearing and disposal of Husain Haqqani’s application, who is already in the US after submitting assurances for his return on four days notice either by the Inquiry Commission or the Supreme Court. He has since requested for equal treatment by the court and be allowed to appear via video link.

In his application, Advocate Sheikh explained, “the presence of the counsel for Mansoor Ijaz is essential in order to bring the relevant material on record, certain facts are necessary to be placed and to make submission on behalf Ijaz for just and proper decision of recording the testimony of Haqqani.”

Meanwhile, Haqqani may be subject to punitive action for his absence. The Commission called for a list of all his assets be provided after the the former Pakistan Ambassador to US failed to comply with orders to appear before it, passed on March, 1 and 2, 2012 by the judicial inquiry commission. Haqqani has claimed ill health and threats to his life as obstacles in returning and has instead requested equal treatment from the court, to be allowed to present his testimony via video link, same as Mansoor Ijaz was after the latter too cited security risks in presenting testimony in Pakistan.