Memo a reality, insists Kayani: rejoinder filed in Supreme Court

Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani on Wednesday submitted his rejoinder in response to concise statements of other respondents including federal government in the Memogate case, arguing that the memo was a reality and it should be probed. In pursuance of the Supreme Court's December 19 order in the Memogate case, the CoAS contended that he had not hidden anything which was in his knowledge in his concise statement.
He added that the memo had tried to decrease the morale of the Pakistan Army, but was unsuccessful in doing so. On the other hand, the federal government, while submitting its rejoinder, reiterated its earlier stance regarding the memo. It said that the President and the Prime Minister had no link with the memo issue. It also ruled out the impression that President Asif Ali Zardari was the originator of this memo. The federation again objected to the Supreme Court jurisdiction to hear the memo case under Article 184 (3) of the Constitution.
According to the sources, the President will not file his concise statement in memo case. It is also expected that the government would take stand on its previous stance, arguing that it had submitted a reply on behalf of the President. Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) chief Nawaz Sharif and Khawaja Asif, while submitting their rejoinders, supported the positions taken by DG ISI and Army Chief on the memo issue.
PML-N leaders also supported the reply of US businessman Mansoor Ijaz. Opposing the stance of the federation, they contended that the court had a clear undisputed jurisdiction to hear the case. PML-N further raised several objections to the statements of former ambassador to United States in relation to the memo controversy. Talking to media persons at Supreme Court building, AGP Maulvi Anwar ul Haq said that the DG ISI still had not submitted his affidavit regarding the matter. He also mentioned that parliament and executive could not stop the proceedings of the Supreme Court on the Memogate case.
Asma Jahangir will appear in the court on behalf of the main respondent, Husain Haqqani. She will also argue his miscellaneous application, seeking the recall of the court's December 1 order in the memo case. The court on Monday again directed all the respondents and the petitioners to file item-wise affidavits. The SC would take up the memo case on Thursday (today).