Sunday 29 January 2012

Memogate: 2 months extension to commission, Haqqani allowed to travel

ISLAMABAD: The larger bench of the Supreme Court (SC) has given two months extension to the three-member judicial commission, tasked to probe the memo controversy, Geo News reported.

The SC heard the application of the commission to extend the time limit for preparing a report into the matter.

The commission, in its application, had prayed to the court that it was not possible for it to complete its inquiry report within the given four weeks time, so the time limit may be extended for completing the inquiry.

Former Pakistani ambassador to US Husain Haqqani has also been allowed to travel abroad by the bench. His counsel, Asma Jahangir, pleaded before the court to allow her client to travel abroad.

The bench ordered that Haqqani can travel but after providing the details to the Registrar Office and should comeback on a four-day notice.

The nine-member larger bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, took up this application alongside an application of Barrister Akram Sheikh, who has been seeking from the court to direct the commission to record the statement of Mansoor Ijaz in London due to security threats to him.

The CJ informed the court of receiving a confidential letter from Mansoor Ijaz, the central figure of the scandal. He remarked that commission's task is not completed yet and we would not interfere in it.

Attorney General (AG) Maulvi Anwarul Haq informed the court about the commission's proceedings, the refusal of BlackBerry company and reservations of Ijaz. The AG did not oppose the extension plea.

The judicial commission to probe the matter comprises Chief Justice of Balochistan High Court Justice Faiz Essa, Chief Justice Sindh High Court Justice Mushir Alam and Chief Justice Islamabad High Court Justice Iqbal Abdul Rehman.

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