Islamabad: A Pakistani parliamentary panel
investigating the Memogate scandal on Friday decided to summon
former envoy Husain Haqqani, businessman Mansoor Ijaz and ISI
chief Lt Gen Shuja Ahmed Pasha to appear before it next month.
The Parliamentary Committee on National Security has been
asked by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani to conduct an
inquiry into the alleged memo that sought US help to prevent a
possible military takeover in Pakistan in the wake of the
killing of Osama bin Laden in May.
The panel`s chief, senior Pakistan People`s Party leader
Raza Rabbani, said Haqqani, Ijaz and Inter-Services
Intelligence chief Pasha would be summoned to appear before
the committee to present their views on the memo.
"Everybody would be called individually," he told
reporters. The three persons are expected to be summoned after
the next meeting of the committee is held before January 10.
"We have circulated all the documents regarding the memo
issue among the members of the committee," said Rabbani.
He said the committee would use "recognised diplomatic
channels" to summon Ijaz, who is an American national of
Pakistani-origin.
Referring to a case taken up by the Supreme Court
regarding the memo, he said there was a lot of difference
between the hearing of such an issue in the apex court and the
proceedings of the parliamentary panel.
The apex court today formed a three-judge commission to
conduct an inquiry into the memo within four weeks.
The alleged memo was made public by Ijaz, who claimed he
had drafted and delivered it to the US military on the
instructions of Haqqani.
Haqqani, who resigned as envoy to the
US after the scandal became public, has dismissed Ijaz`s
charges.
PTI
