Memo case: SC summons interior secretary today

A nine-judge larger bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry resumed the hearing into memogate case on Monday. The bench ordered the interior secretary to appear in person today. During the course of proceedings, Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry remarked that Husain Haqqani should have kept his promise as he was not granted exemption from appearing before the court. Replying to this, Husain Haqqani’s lawyer Asma Jahangir apprised the bench that the matter of Hussain Haqqani’s exemption from hearing is subjudiced. Asma further said that Mansoor Ejaz was allowed to record his statements through video conference while his client wasn’t provided with this facility. On which, the chief justice said that her client, himself promised to appear within 4 days if court ordered. Asma Jahangir said his client was facing security threats on which the chief justice replied that the government will provide full proof security to Hussain Haqqani. The chief justice questioned the attorney general if he could provide full proof security to Haqqani. The attorney general Irfan Qadir replied that he cannot gurranttee security in his current position. It is pertinent to mention that the memo controversy emerged when US based businessman Mansoor Ijaz wrote an article in the ‘Financial Times’ revealing about the memo written to Admiral Mike Mullen on behalf of the Pakistani government in order to seek help from the Obama administration in the wake of the Osama bin Laden raid to avert a military takeover of the civilian government in Pakistan. Several petitions were filed in the Supreme Court, pleading to investigate the matter. Consequently, a larger bench comprising nine judges and headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry was formed by the SC to hear the petitions. A judicial commission was also formed to probe the matter that declared the memo a reality and hold then US ambassador Husain Haqqani responsible to draft the memo. His counsel in the case, Asma Jahangir has also filed the petition against the report.