Legal fraternity divided over Memogate inquiry

 Legal fraternity of the country is divided over the inquiry into Memogate scandal after the resignation of Husain Haqani, Pakistani ambassador to US and allegedly involved in writing a letter to former US military chief Mike Mullen on behalf of President Asif Ali Zardari.
A US-based Pakistani businessman Mansoor Ijaz had alleged that he had handed over a letter, given by Husain Haqani, to Mullen in which President Asif Ali Zardari had sought help of American forces to save his rule.
Giving opinion to TheNation, Advocate Hamid Khan said there should be a high level judicial inquiry into the memo scandal and all the hidden faces should be made public. He said that lawyers would not allow the PPP-led federal government to make Haqqani a scapegoat. It should investigate that who were behind the letter scandal which damaged sovereignty of the country and defamed the Pakistan Army as well as Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Hamid said adding, action should be taken against the guilty personalities either it is president or the prime minister under Article 6 (High Treason Act).
Advocate Abid Manto was of the view that there was no need of judicial inquiry into the issue and the matter should be brought in the Parliament which is supreme after all. He said Article 6 could not be framed on the personalities involved in the whole scandal of Memogate but after the inquiry, there is a provision to take action against the persons involved in the issue under Sedition Act 124-A of PPC (Pakistani Penal Code).
Advocate Dr Khalid Ranjha termed the memo scandal as administrative issue and said that it was the discretion of chief executive (prime minister) to appoint any person as investigation officer for the said scandal and people will have to believe on the report of that officer.
Judicial Activism Panel (JAP) Chairman Advocate Azhar Saddique said that people of Pakistan would believe only on judicial inquiry because government had lost his confidence after the memo scandal. He said two judges of Supreme Court should be appointed to probe the memo scandal. He expressed reservation over the possible government inquiry and said that government would definitely try to save the high officials involved in this scandal.
?Government will try to save President Asif Zardari if Mansoor Ijaz became successful in proving the memo written by Husain Haqqani on behalf of president,?Azhar further added.