News
Wednesday, September 04, 2013
SC again seeks reply from govt over petition against Zardari* Govt given time until Sept 10 to file a concise statement on plea requesting that Zardari should not be allowed to leave country after expiry of his tenure
By Hasnaat Malik
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Tuesday again sought the federal government’s reply until September 10 on a petition requesting that President Asif Ali Zardari should not be allowed to leave the country after expiry of his tenure in office because he wilfully concealed sensitive information from the armed forces about the Abbottabad incident.
A two-member bench of the apex court comprising Justice Khilji Arif Hussain and Justice Ijaz Ahmed Chaudhry resumed hearing of a petition filed by Shahid Orakzai. Appearing on notice, Deputy Attorney General Imranul Haq sought some time from the court for submitting a reply over the matter. He told the court that he wanted some time to file a concise statement on behalf of the federation.
Justice Khilji Arif Hussain, however, told the deputy attorney general that instead of filing a concise statement, he should make arguments before the court. Imranul Haq however, submitted that he had no instructions in this regard. The court then asked the DAG to file a concise statement by September 10. Shahid Orakzai, the petitioner, contended that since the tenure of President Asif Ali Zardari is expiring on September 8, therefore the case should be heard at the earliest.
The court adjourned further hearing until September 8 after seeking a concise statement from the federation. Shahid Orakzai has accused the president of concealing reliable intelligence from the armed forces about CIA’s operation against Osama bin Laden in 2011. During the last hearing on August 30, Orakzai had pleaded the court to restrain President Zardari and army chief General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani from leaving Pakistani territory after the completion of their tenure without a formal permission.
The court however, told the petitioner that the federation had to be given a notice about his application for the constitution of a new bench to hear the matter involving Asif Ali Zardari and ex-ambassador Husain Haqqani. Shahid Orakzai had claimed that Haqqani’s efforts to install a new security set-up under the political government were exposed by an American businessman, Mansoor Ijaz, who leaked the memorandum communicated to then US military chief Admiral Mike Mullen. He submitted that the incumbent Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif thereafter took the matter to the Supreme Court in November 2011 and it is still pending.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk