News
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
SC cannot interfere in memo panel’s proceedings: CJP* Haqqani’s counsel says commission presumed in its February 10 order that SC had barred her client from recording his evidence via videoconference
Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on Monday told Husain Haqqani’s counsel that the Supreme Court could not interfere in the proceedings of the judicial commission investigating the memo scandal.
A 10-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, was hearing the former ambassador’s plea against the commission’s order for his personal appearance in Islamabad. Haqqani has sought the court’s permission to record his evidence before the commission via videoconference.
The former envoy’s counsel, Asma Jahangir, had informed the Supreme Court that she was abroad and would return to the country on April 16 and, therefore, the application should be heard on any day after her return. In view of her plea, the court had decided to hear the case on April 19, but Akram Sheikh, the counsel for Mansoor Ijaz, requested the court to take up the plea after April 20, as he was abroad. In her application, Asma had requested that the commission be directed to allow Haqqani to record his statement via videoconference “just as it had allowed Mansoor Ijaz to do the same”.
The CJP reminded Asma that she had made a commitment to the court, and observed that the court’s orders should be respected. The counsel responded, saying not just the orders of the apex court but the laws of the land should also be respected. While noting that the memo commission was of the view that her client should appear in person before it, she argued that he was neither an accused nor had an any FIR registered against him, but the commission had still not allowed videoconferencing.
The chief justice told Asma that the court could not interfere with the commission’s proceedings. Asma said the commission had presumed in its February 10 order that the Supreme Court had barred her client from recording his statement via videoconference. The court asked the counsel to furnish the February 10 order on Tuesday (today).
Earlier, Naseer Bhutta, counsel for the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, appearing before the bench, objected to certain words in Haqqani’s application and requested they be expunged. The chief justice asked him to submit an application in this regard. According to the application, Haqqani had sought permission to leave the country “in view of the non-appearance (before the commission) of respondent Mansoor Ijaz and as such the petitioner could not be kept indefinitely waiting for other respondents to give evidence”. It also said that Haqqani “continues to cooperate with the proceedings of the commission”.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk