Zardari response in memo case will not be submitted today: AG

ISLAMABAD: Attorney General, Maulvi Anwarul Haq on Thursday said that the Army chief and DG ISI are to submit their statements by today. However, President Zardari will not file his reply today, FTNews reported.

According to the AG, the 15-day deadline given to party members to respond to the memogate case will end tomorrow.

Earlier this morning, three legal experts from the Army Head Quarters delivered the Army chief’s reply and are still in attendance at the Attorney General’s office with the proposed documents.

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Foreign ministry criticises ‘wrong’ US aid freeze

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday angrily criticised US moves to freeze $700 million in aid, the latest sign of the fraying alliance that has been in deep crisis since Nato fire killed 24 Pakistani soldiers.

“We believe that the move in the US Congress is not based on facts and takes narrow vision of overall situation hence wrong conclusions are unavoidable,” foreign ministry spokesman Abdul Basit told reporters.

The US House of Representatives on Wednesday passed the legislation, which the Senate is expected to vote on as early as Thursday.

The bill would freeze the aid, pending assurances that Islamabad has taken steps to thwart militants who use improvised explosive devices (IEDs) against US-led forces in Afghanistan.

“If this legislation becomes law, we’ll work with the government of Pakistan on how we can fulfill the requirements. But, this requires us to maintain a strategic perspective,” US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said.

Pakistan shut down the vital US supply line into neighbouring Afghanistan and ordered US personnel to leave the Shamsi air base, reportedly used as a hub by CIA drones, after attacks killed 24 soldiers on November 26.

Pakistan says it is reviewing terms of engagements with the United States and Nato, but parliament has so far stopped short of announcing any specific measures pending a joint session for which no date has been called.

A parliamentary committee is considering a proposal to scrap tax exemptions on Nato goods shipped to Pakistan and trucked to the Afghan border.

The powerful military, anyway, is considered the final arbiter of policy.

It has bolstered its air defence systems on the Afghan border, where officials say 160,000 troops are deployed.

US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta visited American troops in Afghanistan close to the Pakistani border on Wednesday, calling on Islamabad to secure its side of the border, by cracking down on Taliban havens on its territory.

“I think the real question has to be what has been done on the Afghan side of the border,” Abdul Basit told reporters.

“Pakistan cannot be held responsible for weaknesses and loopholes on the other side of the border,” he added.

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Parliament to decide on Pak-US ties: FM Khar

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar on Thursday said Pakistan had two written agreements with the United States and Nato, FTNews reported.

Speaking to media representatives after a meeting of the National Security Committee, Khar said the parliament would decide on Pakistan’s relations with the US.

Recommendations given during the envoys’ conference have been sent to the parliamentary committee, Khar said, adding that the committee had also been provided details of the two agreements.

Khar said future relations with the US would be “clear, not confusing”.

The ‘war against terrorism’ cannot be won alone, Khar said, adding that Pakistan could also contact other states regarding resumption of aid.

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Mansoor Ijaz submits statement in SC on memo case

ISLAMABAD: Mansoor Ijaz, the central character behind the memogate scandal, on Thursday submitted his statement to the Supreme Court, FTNews reported.

Nine petitions, along with one filed by Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif, on memogate are being heard in the apex court.

The petitions had made President Asif Ali Zardari, Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Pervaiz Kayani, Director-General Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Ahmed Shuja Pasha and Husain Haqqani party to the case.

Ijaz was the second person after former ambassador to United States Husain Haqqani to submit his statement before the court.

Haqqani had submitted his reply in the court last Friday.

Sources said Ijaz submitted an 81-page statement through an e-mail. In his statement, Ijaz not only confirmed his meeting with Pasha in London on Oct 22 but also gave details of the meeting, sources said.

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