News
Saturday, May 05, 2012
Bukhari shreds memo theories* Counsel for Haqqani says commission must restrict itself to addressing issue, authenticity and purpose of memo
* Emails, BBM messages cannot be accepted without chemical tests
Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: Zahid Bukhari, the counsel for former Pakistani ambassador to US Husain Haqqani, concluded his wide-ranging arguments on Friday and gave comprehensive answers to the various facets of the memo controversy.
He pleaded the commission must restrict itself to addressing the issue of origins, authenticity and purpose of the memo. “The commission was created in the environment of hostility towards Haqqani, generated by those who hate PPP government and President Zardari,” he added.
He said although the memo fever was over, the commission had digressed by seeking details about Husain Haqqani, who was not on trial.
He also reminded the commission probing into issues such as asking for details regarding use of secret fund and Haqqani’s terms of employment or property details was extraneous and tantamount to going beyond the mandate of the commission. “Mansoor Ijaz’s lawyer Akram Shaikh made many allegations without any proof which were only meant for newspapers and have no legal effect or value,” he said.
Clarifying position of Husain Haqqani on the controversy, he said he did not need to prove anything beyond saying that he had nothing to do with the memo. He lamented the burden of proof had not been met by Mansoor Ijaz, which was why he and his lawyer had resorted to propaganda and falsehoods.
In his detailed arguments, Bukhari cited Qanun-e-Shahadat and added that the so-called corroborative evidence in the form of emails and BlackBerry messages could not be accepted without forensics under the law. “There is no email or BBM message presented by Ijaz, which shows Haqqani asked Mansoor Ijaz to write the memo or deliver it,” he said. “In his cross-questioning, Ijaz has admitted that he wrote the memo. Hence the origin of the memo is from Mansoor Ijaz.”
He further elaborated there was no proof of what was said in any phone call made by Mansoor Ijaz to Haqqani. He made it clear that Haqqani received more than 800 phone calls in May 2011 because of Osama bin Laden raid, so one or two calls from Mansoor Ijaz out of 800 were not important.
Bukhari argued before the commission that no further authenticity of the memo had been established beyond the point that it was delivered by Mansoor Ijaz. He recalled the language and ideas in the memo were similar to ideas expressed by Mansoor Ijaz in his articles.
Expressing his views on the purpose of sending the memo, he said Mansoor Ijaz had been established as a publicity-seeker and sensationalist with a reputation as having “child-like vanity”. “The purpose of the memo was to seek publicity for him, which he received.”
He wondered why Mansoor Ijaz hired a high-publicity lawyer to represent him before the memo commission when witnesses “do not usually hire lawyers”, only plaintiffs or accused do so.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk