Pakistan’s former ambassador to the United States (US) Husain Haqqani said on Tuesday that he will challenge the report of the judicial commission that was probing the Memogate scandal. The report submitted to the Supreme Court stated that Haqqani had authored the confidential memo.
In a series of tweets on the microblogging website Twitter, Haqqani responded to the commission’s report. He said that the commission’s proceedings were one-sided:
One-sided proceedings of Commission that refused to hear me will be challenged by my lawyers.
Commission is not a court and those claiming it has determined guilt or innocence are wrong.
In a statement released, he said "Commission was created as a fact-finding body and not as a trial court so it has no right to pronounce anyone guilty or innocent of any crime."
Haqqani also said that the report aimed to “distract” people’s attention from other issues:
Memo Commission report is bring used to distract attention from other embarrassing issues. Its claims are political, not legal.
He further said that no one had the right to judge his patriotism:
Those who endorsed military dictators & allowed them 2 amend constitution cannot judge my -or anyone else’s-patriotism.
Commission’s report brought forth truth I have been speaking: Ijaz
Pakistani-American businessman Mansoor Ijaz, whose claims stirred the Memogate controversy, said that the Supreme Court’s unveiling of the judicial commission’s report had brought forth the “truth he had been speaking from the day the case started.”
He said, “Speaking the truth was a moral compulsion for me – it brought harm to my family, my business interests and my political relationships. But the value of the truth I spoke outweighed all of these considerations.”
Asma Jahangir flays commission report
Former Pakistan ambassador to US Hussain Haqqani's counsel Asma Jahangir termed the report of judicial commission on memo scandal as biased and expressed serious reservations on it.
Talking to media persons at Lahore High Court on Tuesday, she also questioned the commission's jurisdiction and that under what law could a Commission declare anyone a traitor.
She was of the view that the commission acted as both complainant and adjudicator. She critiqued that the inquiry report, that it should have been shown to the counsels of the parties involved before being presented before the Supreme Court.
She also questioned another finding of the commission and wondered how the commission could declare Haqqani forced Mansoor Ijaz to write the memo, yet, fail to establish any evidence to this effect.
Replying to a question on whether Haqqani will return to country following SC directions, Jahangir said she had to yet to see the Commission’s report.
COMMENTS (22)
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Haqani is a liar and a traitor.
Mansoor Ijaz was telling the truth as is now very clear
This is really sad. The establishment has tried to divert attention away from the judiciary by giving this stupid verdict against Haqqani. The fact of the matter is that Hussain Haqqani did not need to write a memo - he already had good contacts with the top level Pentagon and US State department officials.
When will the Abbottabad commission verdict come out? When will we find out as to who helped OBL? How come he was found in the heart of a military garrison.
Haqqani needs to be extradited and brought back in cuffs and chains .
He is nothing short of a criminal
So the producer/director of this drama should be given an Oscar. Why? Simple, because meanwhile, has any one questioned: who was bin laden, what he was doing in abbottabad near the umbrella of military academy, how he managed to get thousand of miles inside the border of Pakistan, how he managed to get hidden, first in Haripur, then in Abbottabad and God knows where. so the Oscar goes to.................
*One-sided proceedings of Commission that refused to hear me will be challenged by my lawyers.
Commission is not a court and those claiming it has determined guilt or innocence are wrong*
If so then why didn't you face the commission, you coward, shame on you.
The big picture is that ever since the judiciary became independent in Pakistan, all of its judgements and postures have been pro right-wing. It is curious to see a long trail of such judgements with hardly any note of dissent on the bench. There is not a liberal peep in the Supreme Court. Even the judges' observations have a palpable right-wing bias. In the presence of a supreme Constitution, they invoke religious books. They release the terrorists but pursue the liberals. Judgements against Gilani and Haqqanii fall into the same broad pattern. Not sure what to make of these verdicts. At best, it is selective justice, at worst, justice with a retrogressive agenda.
The purpose of releasing the report on the day of Malik Riaz's testimony is nothing but stealing media attention from Arsalan Iftikhar case. This shows the bias of judges.
Memo is a dead issue that has been resolved between army and Haqqani.
"Back fire"
The way HH acted during the probe it was kinda obvious he wrote the memo.
Although both Haqani and Mnsoor remains the suspicious characters through out the whole memo drama. but the point is that Haqani was the one given with the responsibility of securing Pakistan's national interests and to pursue our foreign policy towards/in America. but he was doing opposite job instead by putting Pakistan's sovereignty at stake. so he should be punished first. as far as mansoor is concern he is not Pakistani citizen he do not have taken any oath to keep his loyalties with Pakistan. he is not doing all these things in sincerity with Pakistan but perhaps he have some other hidden agenda in this. he is not trustworthy person either so the final judgement should be made on evidences and proves and the culprits and treacherous should be hanged!
Non Issues are issues and real issues are non issues in our beloved country.
Things are going fine between army and zardari now! Need not to bash about memogate anymore!
"HH@Those who endorsed military dictators & allowed them 2 amend constitution cannot judge my -or anyone else’s-patriotism" - it is now a matter of sour grapes.
making fool out of themselves these PCO judges……..An unsigned memo, no solid evidence, no proof…….still HH being charged….. what a shame……..
They day this information was leaked that the he is behind this memo gate he started pretending to be the most loyal person of the pakistan. He knew that the time has come for his demise so he along with his supporters started media warfare against those seeking his trial. He planted someone to be his henchman so that no one ever thinks of his involvement in this dubious crime. Man you are the part of this game plan and its established now. I exhort the Supreme court to bring all those involved in this work to justice. Pakistan Zindabad
As hard as the court tries, the real issue will come back to haunt them. These are all diversion tactics.
Whatever you say now, Its your history of rejecting every commission report & each verdict by the court.
Just out of curiosity can the Ambassador representing Pakistan hold dual nationality? ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ What about Shamsul Hassan in London?:)
All this was pretty evident from the very first news reports, even a commision wasnt needed when there is written and verified proof available, where is HH trying to hide, he should get out of the PM house now...