Thaindian News

Islamabad, Jan 4 (IANS) A Pakistani judicial commission set up to probe the memo scandal has issued notice to President Asif Ali Zardari to appear before it at its next hearing.

The commission held its first meeting at the Islamabad High Court building Monday. It said notices would be issued to all parties linked with the scandal.

The three-member commission, headed by Chief Justice of Balochistan High Court Qazi Faez Issa, will hold its next meeting Jan 9, Geo TV reported Wednesday.

Maj. Gen. Ahmed Shuja Pasha, director general of the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), James Jones, former US National Security Advisor, Husain Haqqani, former Pakistani ambassador to the US and Mansoor Ijaz, Pakistani-American businessman, were also asked to appear before it.

Army Chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president Nawaz Sharif will also be issued notices.

Ijaz claims to have delivered a memo to the then US military chief Gen. Mike Mullen in May last year at the behest of Haqqani and the government to avert a likely military coup, kicking in a scandal that generated much heat in Pakistan..

Earlier, lawyer Asma Jehangir, noted human rights activist, refused to represent Haqqani in the case.

While announcing her decision to quit Sunday, Jehangir had said that she has “no confidence” in the commission. “I quit as Haqqani’s lawyer but my client will pursue his case,” she told the daily Dawn.