Army Chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani has said in his reply
that Memogate is a reality, adding that the information given in memo
is very sensitive, adding that the DG ISI briefed him on October 24
regarding the meeting held with Mansoor Ijaz on 22nd October.
According to the sources the Army chief and DG ISI submitted replies
through attorney general in the apex court on Thursday, in which army
chief said that he had informed prime minister that investigations
should be initiated and action should be taken against responsible
persons after the completion of the investigations as memo is a reality;
meanwhile federation have requested the apex court to reject all
applications filed regarding alleged memo by declaring them
non-maintainable.
President Asif Ali Zardari, secretaries Cabinet Division, Defence,
Foreign Affairs, Law and Justice have not submitted reply in apex court
on memogate scandal; meanwhile Supreme Court of Pakistan has received
the replies of Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, DG ISI
Lt. General Ahmed Shuja Pasha, Federation and Federal secretary for
ministries of Interior, while Mansoor Ijaz, and former Pakistani
ambassador in US Hussain Haqqani has already filed their replies.
Attorney General justice (retd) Maulvi Anwarul Haq submitted these replies in apex court on Thursday evening.
Meanwhile, SC has changed the composition of the bench to hear the
case on December 19 by including Justice Athar Saeed on place of Justice
Ameer Hani Muslim.
The Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry has directed to supply
these all replies to petitioners and respondents and court would resume
further hearing of memogate scandal on December 19.
Ijaz, the central character of memogate scandal, had accused former
Pakistan ambassador to US, Hussain Haqqani, of passing on a secret memo
in which President Zardari allegedly sought US army General Mike
Mullen’s help against Pakistan army.
The issue led to the resignation of Haqqani, souring relations
between Islamabad and Washington, prompting Pakistan Muslim League-N
Chief Nawaz Sharif to file a petition in the court against the coup
memo.
Mansoor Ejaz’s reply, spread over 81 pages, was received by the apex
court registrar via an email and through foreign ministry on Thursday.
Ijaz has confirmed and gave details of his meeting with ISI chief Pasha in London on Oct 22.
Mansoor Ijaz has given details of the meeting with DG ISI Shuja Pasha and other relevant information.
The reply stated: “Meeting between Mansoor Ijaz and DG ISI continued
from 6:00 pm to 10:30 pm at London’s Park Lane Hotel on October 22. Lt
Gen Pasha said he came to UK with COAS permission”.
This meeting was arraged by an unknown person who contacted me on October 16, Ijaz said.
This meeting was arraged by an unknown person who contacted me on October 16, Ijaz said.
Mansoor Ijaz said that he gave proof of whatever info he provided to DG ISI.
It is worth mentioning here that Supreme Court on December 01 had
sought replies within 15 days from the President, Chief of Army Staff
(COAS), DG Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) and other respondents on
the issue of the alleged memo delivered to Admiral Mike Mullen, US Joint
Chiefs of Staff, on behalf of the Pakistani government.
“The respondents including the president, chief of the army staff, DG
ISI and others have to file replies within 15 days and explain their
position for our guidance,” observed a nine-member special bench of the
apex court headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry hearing
petitions filed by the PML-N and others.
Meanwhile, according to press release issued by the SC six respondents of memo case have submitted their replies. SANA
