Nawaz asks SC to identify those behind memo scam

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) on Wednesday pleaded to the Supreme Court to identify those behind the memorandum scandal and bring them to justice.
PML-N President Mian Nawaz Sharif filed a petition before the SC under Article 184(3) of the Constitution, making the federation, secretary Ministry of Foreign Affairs, President Asif Ali Zardari, former Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States Husain Haqqani, Mansoor Ejaz, Chief of the Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and head of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha as respondents.
He prayed that all the respondents be summoned before the court in person to explain the detestable, despicable and treacherous memorandum in question.
He cited an article, published in Financial Times on October 10, 2011, authored by Mansoor Ejaz, wherein it had been claimed that early on May 9, a week after US Special Forces stormed the hideout of Osama bin Laden and killed him, a senior Pakistani diplomat telephoned him with an urgent request that Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari needed to communicate a message to the White House national security officials that would bypass Pakistan’s military and intelligence channels.
The PML-N chief contended that after the publication of the said article, former ambassador Husain Haqqani and the Presidency in Pakistan dismissed the author’s claim by lightly brushing it aside as a mere fantasy.
He said the contents of the memorandum in question are designed not only to demoralise and cow down the Armed Forces of Pakistan, which are a national asset, being a national institution obligated to defend the country and its people by seeking foreign intervention for the said purpose, but it also threatens the very foundation and the future of Pakistan by trading away its sovereignty for petty personal gains.
“The act in question of the ones who initiated the said memorandum, the ones who rendered any help or assistance in the matter and those who blessed or approved of it are culpable for acts of high treason against the state and Constitution,” the PML-N chief submitted.
Nawaz Sharif informed the court that despite of his demand, no steps at all have been taken by the competent authorities to set up any independent committee or commission to look into the fateful affair in question.
“I would have ordinarily approached parliament to take stock of the said situation but the fate of the resolutions of parliament regarding drone attacks and others compelled me to look to other independent and effective fora for the purpose,” the PML-N chief said.
He prayed to the apex court that the ones responsible or involved in initiating the process leading to the said memorandum, authoring the same, providing any assistance whatsoever in the process and the ones blessing or approving the said act, may graciously be identified.
Nawaz Sharif further prayed that the dreadful conspiracy to demonise, to ridicule, to malign and consequently to demoralise and terrorise and resultantly to destroy the invaluable and valiant Armed Forces of Pakistan, to trade away the sovereignty of Pakistan and to barter away the very existence and the future of Pakistan, which also amounts to waging a war against Pakistan, be unearthed.
The PML-N chief further prayed that the culprits exhibiting grave disloyalty to the State and the people of Pakistan and who are found guilty of the crimes be brought to book. It is pertinent to mention here that earlier on November 21, the apex court was also moved on the issue when Tariq Asad, advocate, filed a petition, seeking constitution of a high-level commission to investigate the matter of memorandum written to the US government and fix responsibility for damaging the sovereignty of the country.