Lahore HC hears petition against Haqqani; seeks argument

Lahore, Dec 10: A Pakistani court has questioned whether a lie detector test on the country's former envoy to the US, Husain Haqqani, can establish the facts about the secret memo that was sent to the US military seeking its help to prevent a possible coup in May.

Justice Umar Ata Bandial of the Lahore High Court sought arguments on the issue yesterday while hearing a petition demanding action against Haqqani for his alleged role in the memogate scandal.

The petitioner's counsel asked the court to order the government to carry out a lie detector test on Haqqani to ascertain the facts about the memogate scandal.

The judge asked both sides to come up with arguments on the issue on December 20.

Petitioner Iftikhar Rajpoot said Haqqani's alleged act had tarnished the image of Pakistan and its armed forces.

A law officer stated in court that a case on the memogate controversy was being heard by the Supreme Court and that Haqqani had been restrained from leaving Pakistan.

The law officer asked the High Court to adjourn hearing of the case till the apex court gives its ruling.

Haqqani, a close aide of President Asif Ali Zardari, recently resigned to facilitate a probe into the issue.

The secret memo made public by controversial Pakistani-American businessman Mansoor Ijaz sought US help to stave off a possible military coup in the aftermath of the American military raid that killed Osama bin Laden.

Haqqani has said he had nothing to do with the memo which was sent by Ijaz to the then US military chief Mike Mullen.

The envoy and his supporters have alleged the memo was a hoax cooked up by the military establishment to get rid of him and weaken the PPP government.

PTI