ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) on Monday dismissed the plea of Hussain Haqqani for exemption from personal appearance in the court and gave a final chance to him to appear before the court with a warning that if he failed to appear a stern action will be taken against him, Dispatch News Desk (DND) reported.
A nine-member larger bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was hearing into the controversy revolving around the memo scandal after the judicial commission constituted by the Supreme Court had held that Haqqani was the originator and architect of the memorandum sent to former US military chief Admiral Mike Mullen seeking US intervention to avert a possible overthrow of the civilian government by the military.
The counsel for Hussain Haqqani Asma Jahangir had submitted a petition praying for the grant of exemption to her client due to security concerns, which the court rejected and ordered him to make his presence within three weeks in the court, otherwise his passport might be cancelled.
The Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry in his remarks said that Hussain Haqqani must honour the affidavit he had submitted in the court. The Chief Justice further said that the security measures taken by the democratic government are praise worthy.
The court in its order said that if Haqqani failed to appear before the court he must be brought forcibly and that there are a number of options before the court including the cancellation of his passport.
DND
