Memogate scandal: Get Haqqani in court even if force required: SC

Asma Jahangir says her client was not returning to Pakistan over social media threats.

ISLAMABAD:

Former envoy Husain Haqqani’s presence in court should be ensured “even if it requires the use of force,” said Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.

Haqqani was implicated in a scandal in which he had a memo delivered to top US Admiral Mike Mullen offering greater cooperation against the Pakistan military in the aftermath of the Abbottabad raid on May 2, 2011. Haqqani denied any such involvement and resigned in protest.

During the hearing on Monday, Haqqani’s counsel Asma Jahangir submitted a letter to the interior ministry which said that her client was avoiding travel to Pakistan over security concerns which barred him from appearing in court.

Jahangir revealed that the former ambassador to the US was receiving threats via social media and had asked the authorities to investigate. The counsel said that she “could not remove this security threat phobia from Haqqani’s mind”.



Furthermore, she was critical that the Supreme Court had not ordered any special security arrangements to escort her threatened client to court.

In its short order, the court had asked the interior secretary to explain why the ministry had failed to ensure Haqqani’s safe return to Pakistan. The hearing was adjourned till February 12.

Monday’s hearing was held on time: January 28 was given as the date of the next hearing on December 23.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 29^th, 2013.