DAILY LATEST NEWS UPDATE: 23.02.2012

Memogate scandal: Mansoor Ijaz testifies in London LONDON: Mansoor Ijaz, the protagonist of Memo scandal, Wednesday recorded his statement via video link from London with the Judicial Commission (JC) probing the issue and presented the stock of evidence in his possession to corroborate his claims, Geo News reported.During today s session, Mansoor Ijaz handed over to the JC a 29-page testimony along with a number of evidence including his BlackBerry, PIN, phone numbers, emails, code words, documents and other key information in connection with writing of the memo and its delivery to Admiral Mike Mullen through James Jones.He also provided details of his meetings with DG ISI Ahmed Shuja Pasha and former Ambassador to the US Hussain Haqqani.The proceedings were held in Pakistan High Commission in London with a videoconferencing facility in the presence of Secretary Memo Commission Raja Jawad Abbas and Lawyer of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Rashid A Rizvi. Husain Haqqani s counsel Zahid Bukhari and Mansoor Ijaz s lawyer Akram Sheikh participated in the proceedings from Pakistan.The Judicial Commission was chaired by Chief Justice Baluchistan High Court, Qazi Faiz Isa, alsong with two other members Chief Justice Sindh High Court, Musheer Alam and Chief Justice Islamabad High Court, Iqbal Hameed-ur-Rehman.The Judicial Commission had consented to videoconferencing after the memogate scandal s prime witness refused to arrive in Pakistan fearing for his life.During the proceedings, the US businessman informed the commission about his communication with US Husain Haqqan and provided the Blackberry PIN and email of the former ambassador.Ijaz said that communication between him and Haqqani started in May, 2011.He said Haqqani informed him that the Army wanted to topple the government and that the government wanted to send a message to the US through Admiral Mike Mullen.According to Ijaz, Haqqani also informed him about the government s intention to form a new security team and that US opinions would be considered in the formation of the Abbottabad commission if they assisted in the removal of General Kayani.Ijaz further said that Haqqani had decided to use code words for key figures during their conversations. The President of Pakistan was referred to as boss or friend; Americans were called Isphani while people from Pakistan were called friends.The US businessman also handed over the copy of his phone bill to the secretary of the memo commission during his testimony.The commission will resume its proceedings on Thursday at 2 pm (Pakistan time). 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Mohammed Saleem Mansoori