“Memogate” capable of erupting (Mansoor Ijaz has recorded his testimony)

Recording of Mansoor Ijaz s testimony in Pakistan was carried out at the Islamabad High Court in the infamous memo case from London via video link. Mansoor Ijaz said that Hussain Haqqani assured the US of access to Pakistan s nuclear programme and also to the three widows of Osama bin Laden. He also said Haqqani also assured the US that ISI s Section-S (SS) that reportedly deals with political affairs would be dismantled. Mansoor said that he telephoned Haqqani on this number (00442071060900) from Monaco. He said that he met with Haqqani at Room No. 430 of Pak Land Hotel in London. Mansoor said that contact with Haqqani started on May 3. He handed over pin code of his and Husain Haqqani’s BackBerrys to the secretary commission. The pin cod of Haqqani’s BlackBerry is 2326 A3ID. Mansoor also provided the email address of Hussain Haqqani to the Commission.  Mansoor Ijaz showed his BlackBerry to the commission used for communication. The counsel for Husain Haqqani, Zahid Hussain Bukhari, objected that who would verify the authenticity of the messages while, Attorney General raised the question of originality of the BlackBerry. Ijaz took oath before recording his statement. Mansoor Ijaz, in his statement, admitted that he had met with President Zardari, Pervez Musharraf and former DG ISI. I have been in contact with Pakistani authorities since last 10 years, he said. During the video link recording, Zahid Bukhari raised objections over the procedure of recording Ijaz’s testimony saying “this is not how testimonies are recorded”. He also said each word of Ijaz’s testimony should be written down. Rejecting Bukhari’s statement, the commission said that he should not interfere during the proceedings. Bukhari alleged that while getting his statements recorded, Ijaz started “toying with his BlackBerry phone”. Justice Isa quipped, “You start fighting over everything.” The commission told Ijaz to keep his phones on the table. Ijaz objected over Bukhari’s behaviour and said that his phones were already lying on the table. Two big screens have been installed in the Islamabad High Court to record Ijaz’s statements from the Pakistan High Commission in London via video link. Secretary Memo Commission Raja Jawad Abbas and PML-N lawyer Rashid A Rizvi are at London High Commission while Husain Haqqani s lawyer Zahid Bukhari and Mansor Ijaz s lawyer Akram Sheikh are in Pakistan. The judicial commission investigating the memogate scandal had permitted to record the statement via videoconference after Ijaz refused to appear before the commission in Pakistan due to security concerned expressed by him. All arrangements of recording the statements have already been made in London High Commission and Islamabad High Court building (IHC).