PPP leaders declare SC directive biased on memogate issue

ISLAMABAD: Leaders of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Thursday declared Supreme Court’s directive biased after the apex appointed a former senior government investigator, Tariq Khosa, to head a commission to probe the “memogate” scandal, FTNews reported.

Earlier, the court also ordered former ambassador to US Hussain Haqqani to stay in the country until the 3-week probe is completed.

Speaking at a press conference, party’s stalwart Babar Awan said the court completely ignored Federation’s perspective on the issue.

Mr Awan was holding the press conference after briefing an extraordinary meeting of the party leaders including President Zardari and Prime Minister Gilani at the Presidency in Islamabad.

Awan blamed PML-N Chief Nawaz Sharif of attacking democracy by hiding behind the ‘institutions.’ “N-league has opened a ‘traitor making factory’,” he said referring PML-N’s campaign against the president.

“Who wants to divide Pakistan,” he asked. “Today’s proceedings remind us of what happened with East Pakistan,” he added.

He assured that Hussain Haqqani would not leave the country until the probe was completed.

Talking on the occasion, the Information Minister Firdous Ashiq awan showed her concerns over ‘protocol’ provided to Nawaz Sharif by the apex court.

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Munter offers Condolences on Nato strike

ISLAMABAD: US ambassador to Islamabad Cameron Munter on Thursday expressed his deep condolence on the Mohamand Agency incident and deaths of Pakistani soldiers.

In a statement, ambassador said “I would like to extend my most sincere condolences to the people and government of Pakistan and especially to Pakistani men and women in uniform, for the tragic incident that occurred on November 26 in Mohmand Agency. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the men who died.”

“Pakistan and the United States have stood together for over 60 years. We have weathered previous crises together,” he said.

The ambassador said he was certain that both countries will weather the current crisis, and would emerge as stronger partners.

He said the US has taken this matter very seriously and pledged a full and in-depth investigation.

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Supreme Court bars Husain Haqqani from travel

ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani parliamentarian says the Supreme Court has barred the country’s former envoy to the US from leaving, while a commission investigates his role in a memo scandal that led to his resignation.

The Supreme Court appointed a former senior government investigator, Tariq Khosa, to head a commission to probe the scandal, said Khwaja Asif, a Pakistani lawmaker and one of nine opposition politicians who petitioned the court asking for an investigation.

The court ordered Haqqani to stay in the country until the 3-week probe is complete, Asif said.

Haqqani has been accused of crafting a memo asking the US for help in reining in Pakistan’s military, following the American raid that killed Osama bin Laden in May. Asif is one of nine lawmakers who requested an investigation into the allegations.

Haqqani has denied involvement. He said Thursday that he had not been officially notified of the court decision, but that he did not intend to travel.

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No intention of leaving Pakistan: Husain Haqqani

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s former ambassador to the United States Hussain Haqqani said on Thursday he had no intention of leaving the country, FTNews reported.

He further said that he had no palaces waiting for him in Saudi Arabia.

Earlier, PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif had moved the Supreme Court on the memogate scandal filing an application calling for restrictions on Haqqani from leaving Pakistan.

Haqqani on Thursday claimed that he himself had tendered his resignation so that an independent investigation could be conducted on the issue.

Haqqani had resigned from his position of ambassador days after Pakistani-American businessman Mansoor Ijaz accused him of being behind the alleged memo that said the military was plotting a coup and appealed to the Pentagon to help ward it off.

Haqqani has denied any connection with the memo.

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Nawaz claims memo approved by top political leadership

ISLAMABAD: A nine-judge bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry was hearing a case relating to the memogate scandal on Thursday, FTNews reported.

During the hearing, Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz’s chief Nawaz Sharif told the court that the secret memo was approved by the country’s top political leadership.

He further said that if a similar scandal had propped up during his government, he would have tendered his resignation.

Sharif claimed that a force was stopping Pakistan’s parliament from functioning independently.

During the proceeding, Justice Jawad Khwaja said that the memo scandal was so far based on assumptions and determining the facts of the matter was obligatory.

Moreover, Justice Saqib Nisar questioned whether the memo case fell under the jurisdiction of the court or that of the parliament.

Responding to which, Sharif said that the parliament was not functional and was only passing resolutions. He added that the parliament was not going to do anything regarding the scandal.

Chief Justice Iftikhar said the scandal had civil and military implications and that military courts had the authority to act on the information.

He further said that newspapers had been reporting that the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) had investigated the issue, adding that Husain Haqqani’s resignation did not prove the charges that were being leveled.

Also, Sharif asked the court to summon every individual suspected of involvement in the case to determine where the responsibility lay.

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Posted in: NATIONAL