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Friday, December 16, 2011
All proofs and evidences shared with Pasha: Ijaz* US-Pakistani businessman says ISI chief examined his computer and BlackBerry device in London
ISLAMABAD: Mansoor Ijaz, the US-Pakistani businessman at the centre of the memogate controversy, on Thursday, submitted his 81-page written reply on the memo issue in the Supreme Court, claiming that he shared facts and evidences about the scandal with ISI chief.
In his reply, Ijaz has given the details of his meeting with ISI chief Lt Gen Shuja Pasha and exchange of BlackBerry Messages (BBM) and phone calls. He said that DG ISI met with him in London with the consent of Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani for four hours, and shared the facts, evidences and record about the ‘memorandum’.
Ijaz claims that the ISI chief read the memorandum and demonstrated surprise and dismay – at times disgust and disappointment – over the content of the document. But did not ask a single question about the content of the document other than if he would be willing to divulge the names of the others besides Haqqani that would be the part of new national security team.
During the debriefing, Lt Gen Pasha opened Ijaz’s computer, BlackBerry device and questioned how the data was stored, transmitted and displayed. The DG ISI carefully analysed dates, times, ‘properties’ of Microsoft documents to see when the documents were created and how they fit into the timeline Ijaz stated. Lt Gen Pasha looked at the original telephone bill logs, checked the time at which each BBM message was sent or received, and also reviewed the handwritten notes.
Ijaz stated that contrary to media reports, at no time Lt Gen Pasha tried to send BBM to Haqqani from his handset. The ISI chief recorded the PIN numbers that Ijaz had for Haqqani, both old and new one. Haqqani did not have the third PIN at that time. Pasha asked how he (Ijaz) stored email addresses and to see the ones he had for Haqqani – one from his private university mailbox (Boston University) and one for official use at the embassy in Washington.
Ijaz stated that Haqqani explained to him that the Bin Laden episode had created severe stresses between the Pakistan Army/intelligence agencies and the civilian government. In Haqqani’s words Army and the ISI pin the blame of Abbottabad event on President Asif Ali Zardari’s administration. Ijaz writes that on the insistence of Haqqani he contacted Gen Jones for delivering the message to then US military chief Mike Mullen. Gen Jones’ first reaction was that Pakistani officials often made verbal promises that they didn’t keep. Ijaz said Gen Jones had refused to take the message to Admiral Mullen if it was not in writing. He conveyed this to Haqqani who, on May 9, 2011, dictated a series of points that ultimately became the basis of the first draft of the memo.
Ijaz said he sent the draft to Haqqani for review, and on phone asked about the authority. Haqqani said: “Don’t worry about that, I’ve got it sorted out with the boss.” Ijaz writes that before giving the memo to Gen Jones, he reconfirmed from Haqqani if he had the authority from the highest political level to proceed with this operation. Haqqani replied: “I have got the boss’s approval, go ahead.” In the reply, Ijaz reiterated he was prepared to appear in front of the apex court to present the physical evidence in his possession and to allow it to be forensically tested. hasnaat malik
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk