Haqqani's lawyer quits as memo panel holds first meeting
A Pakistani judicial commission probing the memo scandal Monday held its first meeting which former envoy to the US Husain Haqqani did not attend. His lawyer Asma Jehangir, noted human rights activist, also refused to represent him before it.
Jehangir, announcing her decision to quit, said Sunday that she has "no confidence" in the commission. "I quit as Haqqani's lawyer but my client will pursue his case," Jehangir told the daily Dawn Sunday.
The three-member commission, headed by Chief Justice of Balochistan High Court Qazi Faez Issa, Monday held its first meeting at the Islamabad High Court building.
A nine-judge bench of the Supreme Court had formed the commission last Friday to probe how and at whose behest was the memo delivered to the US military chief, kicking in a scandal that generated much heat in Pakistan.
The commission sent notices to several people, including Maj. Gen. Ahmed Shuja Pasha, director general of the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), former US National Security Advisor James Jones, Husain Haqqani and Pakistani-American businessman Mansoor Ijaz to appear before it.
It also asked the authorities to obtain call records and messages exchanged between Haqqani and Mansoor Ijaz.
Attorney General Maulvi Anwarul Haq said the commission will determine the methodology to obtain the records.
Mansoor Ijaz claims to have delivered a memo to the then US military chief Gen. Mike
Mullen in May last year at the behest of Haqqani and the government to avert a likely military coup.
Jehangir, a noted human rights activist, accused the apex court judges of acting as acolytes of the establishment.
"If nine judges of the Supreme Court can be (under their influence), then I am sorry to say I cannot have any expectations from the high court judges."
"Should we allow ourselves to be fooled? I have told my client he can appear before the commission if he wants to, and he will go. I have no confidence at all (in the commission)," Dawn quoted Jehangir as saying.
In another development Monday, a petitioner challenged the formation of the commission. Shahid Orakzai claimed the commission was not constituted in accordance with the constitution.
Neither Haqqani nor Pasha attended Monday's meeting. The former Pakistani envoy said he did not receive any notice from the commission to appear before it, but would appear when he receives it, Geo News reported.
