Memogate: Haqqani's plea seeking Pasha as witness rejected

Islamabad: A Pakistani judicial panel probing a mysterious memo sent to the US has rejected Husain Haqqani’s plea that ex-ISI chief Ahmed Shuja Pasha appear as a witness, amid claims by the former envoy that the commission has been “converted into a virtual prosecution” against him. The Supreme Court-appointed commission, which has been investigating the memo that had sought US help to stave off a feared coup in Pakistan following al-Qaeda chief  Osama bin Laden’s killing last year, also refused to accept Haqqani’s written explanation regarding the use of secret diplomatic funds during a hearing yesterday. [caption id=“attachment_298520” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Haqqani is currently in the US and has said he cannot return to Pakistan to testify as he is being treated for a heart condition.”] [/caption] The three-judge panel resumed its hearing yesterday after a short break. Haqqani was forced to resign as Pakistan’s ambassador to the US after American businessman Mansoor Ijaz made public the memo last year. Ijaz claimed he had drafted and delivered the memo to the then US military chief on the instructions of Haqqani. The government has dismissed Ijaz’s claims. After Ijaz deposed via a video link from London, Haqqani too sought the same facility but his request was turned down. Haqqani is currently in the US and has said he cannot return to Pakistan to testify as he is being treated for a heart condition. Zahid Bukhari, the counsel for Haqqani, presented a written application that asked for former ISI chief Pasha to appear before commission as a witness. However, the panel rejected the plea during a session held behind closed doors at the Islamabad High Court complex. PTI