Opinion The memo tale

Earlier this week,in a curious twist, Haqqani’s lawyer,Asma Jahangir excused herself from his case. Dawn reported on January 1: “Asma said that she did not trust the commission formed by the Supreme Court to investigate the memo scandal,alleging that the Supreme Court judges were under the establishment’s influence. Asma also told Dawn News in an exclusive interview that Haqqani feared the powerful spy agencies may force him into giving a statement. This fear was the reason behind the former ambassador’s stay at the prime minister’s house,she said. Moreover,she said that the Supreme Court’s decision on the Memogate petition was a victory for the country’s establishment. The law was being used to transform the country into a ‘security state’,she said.” 

As the story developed,The Express Tribune reported on January 6: “Pakistani American businessman Mansoor Ijaz submitted his BlackBerry Personal Identification Number (PIN) to the commission investigating the Memogate scandal… (which) sought the equipment used to communicate over,and then send,the memo in question and also ordered that message records be requested from Research in Motion — the Canada-based service provider of BlackBerry Messenger,through which Ijaz and Husain Haqqani allegedly exchanged messages regarding the memo.” 

New provinces

The issue of creating new provinces in Pakistan was revived this week in the National Assembly. Dawn reported on January 3: “Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani… reiterated his commitment for the creation of new provinces,including a Seraiki province,and asked the chief whip in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah to discuss it with allied parties and move a resolution in the House.” Gilani’s home is in Multan,southern Punjab,where the Seraiki dialect is spoken. It is also the PPP’s pocket borough.

Defending Bhutto

The ongoing reference case of former Pakistan PM Zulfikar Ali Bhutto has created a furore in Pakistan as the federation’s lawyer,Babar Awan,who was law minister until last year,was slapped with contempt of court charges along with two other senior PPP members. The case revisits Bhutto’s murder trial. Awan,appearing for the federation,reportedly made some derogatory remarks about the Supreme Court and was supported by information minister Firdaus Ashiq Awan and PPP chief whip,Khursheed Shah. The Nation reported on January 5: “During the hearing of the Bhutto reference case on Thursday,Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry took serious notice of Babar Awan’s comments in the media…”

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