Memogate: Scotland Yard's assistance may be sought

The judicial commission investigating the Memo case may direct the federal government to seek Scotland Yard's assistance to carry out the forensic analysis of BlackBerry devices in case no private forensic expertise is found in nine days.
The judicial commission, which met on Friday, discussed at length with the Attorney General for Pakistan Anwar-ul-Haq the prospects of sending to the Scotland Yard all the digital data available with a view to establishing the authenticity of memo if neither party in memo case comes up with any expert's name in nine days. AGP assured the commission that he would hold consultations with the relevant department on the subject and report back to the probe commission. However, counsel of Mansoor Ijaz, raised an objection to the suggestion, arguing that they did not want to take the matter on government-to-government level.
The commission directed the Secretary Commission to contact two private forensic companies- LGC Forensic Analyst and System Technology Consultant Limited - and find out whether or not they had the requisite expertise to carry out forensic analysis of BlackBerry handsets.
Chairman Commission Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa directed all the parties in the memo case that they might be required to agree on the name of two companies or come up with an alternate name in nine days. The Secretary Commission was directed to inquire from these companies whether they had the expertise to verify the mobile handsets. These companies would be required to ascertain whether phone sets had been manipulated or tempered with. The companies would be further asked about their ability to retrieve deleted data of BlackBerry messages from handsets.
The commission further directed the AGP to produce the pdf version of the bills of all those mobile phones which had been in the use of Husain Haqqani during March-November 2011. Advocates Salah-ud-din and Mustafa Ramday completed their cross-examination of the witness. Zahid Bukhari, Counsel for former Ambassador Husain Haqqani will cross- examine Mansoor Ijaz on March 15-18. Zahid has been allowed to go abroad or stay in Islamabad High Court for cross-examination of the star witness.