ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Zafar Ali Shah filed a petition in the Supreme Court on Wednesday, urging it to initiate a treason trial against top leadership of PPP in the wake of Hussain Haqqanis controversial op-ed published in Washington Post.
The petitioner is seeking to initiate the trial against former president Asif Ali Zardari and former Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, along with Hussain Haqqani, Dawn reported.
The federal ministers for interior, defence and law were made parties to the petition, which also asked for the names of Zardari and Gilani to be put on the Exit Control List (ECL).
The petitioner stated that, in his capacity as the supreme commander of the military forces, Zardari had approved the US navy seals' raid in Abbottabad targetting Osama bin Laden and permitted the issuance of visas to Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officials.
Shah in his petition further stated that the court must compel the interior and law ministers to bring Haqqani back to Pakistan.
Moreover, it also called on the federal government to make the report of the Abbottabad Commission public and provide details on all visas issued to Americans by Haqqani.
The development was made the same day when Minister for Defence Khawaja Asif had called for a parliamentary commission to investigate claims made by Hussain Haqqani in the March 10 op-ed.
The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-Pakistan) backed the proposal presented in the National Assembly earlier in the day. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) also agreed, adding that the Memogate Commission's report should also be made public.
Noting that there had been considerable debate in the Parliament on Haqqani's op-ed over the past few days, Asif recalled that the former ambassador to the US had left the country on the promise that he would return, but never did.
Talking about Haqqani's allegations, Asif said, "This is not the first time Haqqani has targeted our national security. However, it is the first time that he has named Asif Ali Zardari and Yousuf Raza Gilani in such a case."
He said that Opposition Leader in the NA, Khursheed Shahs act of terming Hussain Haqqani a traitor was nothing more than an attempt to dodge the responsibility.
Responding to the defence minister's allegations, Khursheed Shah retorted that his party has no problems with the formation of a parliamentary commission, but the prime minister should also be present while the probe is conducted.
The commission should also determine who called Osama Bin Ladin to Pakistan in the first place, who facilitated him, and who asked him for help, Shah added.
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