Memo hearing: Haqqani’s counsel gets UK visa ‘too late’

ISLAMABAD, The British High Commission has issued visa to Zahid Bukhari Council for Pakistan s former ambassador Hussain Haqqani too late that his chances to join the judicial commission panel in London during Mansoor Ijaz s testimony seems bleak.

While talking to media here on Tuesday, Bukhari said that the British High Commission informed him about the visa over the phone, however, adding that his visa came so late that it was almost impossible for him to reach London at the time of recording of Ijaz s statements, as he has less time to make traveling arrangements.

Though Bukhari was not sure about joining Wednesday s hearing in London, but said he might leave for UK Tuesday evening along with his team members. He said two of his associates would stay in Islamabad for the case hearing

Bukhari, who expressed his desire of being personally present during the recording, said that the British High Commission asked him to collect his visa at 2pm, which is exactly 24-hours away from the statement being recorded.

The statement of the central character of the memogate, Mansoor Ijaz will be recorded at the Pakistan High Commission through video link at 2pm (PST) on February 22 (Wednesday).

Bukhari requested for the visa in order to question Ijaz on the issue of the memogate, which was accepted after a long gap. Zahid Bukhari s associate Ali Bukhari will receive the visa today by 3.00 pm on behalf of Zahid Bukhari.

Ijaz was summoned several times by the judicial commission probing the Memogate scandal, but the Pakistani-American businessman refused to come to Pakistan over security concerns. A judicial panel was formed to record his statements in London, while the bench will monitor the statements and cross-question him via video link in Islamabad.

On the other hand, Petitioner Nawaz Sharif s lawyer Rasheed A Rizvi has been issued visa earlier and he will join Raja Jawad Abbas Secretary of the Supreme Court commission probing into the scam, who has reached London to collect evidence from Mansoor Ijaz and Blackberry s data, besides reviewing arrangements for recording of his statement in London and before Pakistani commission in Islamabad, simultaneously.