Gilani says Army Chief, Spy Chief replies in memo case illegal

Islamabad: Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani here Monday said that depositions of Army Chief and Spy Chief in memo case were illegal.
In an interview with Chinese newspaper he said that any official action by a government functionary without the prior approval of the government was unconstitutional and illegal.
PM Gilani pointed out that the responses given by the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani and Director General ISI Ahmed Shuja Pasha to the Supreme Court in connection to the alleged memo controversy did not contain the approval of the competent authority as required.
He said that the defense ministry had not sent any summary to him, seeking permission for Kayani and Pasha to submit rejoinders in the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
The Supreme Court has been hearing petitions filed by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and others seeking an inquiry over leaked memo controversy.
The generals in their replies insisted that the memo is authentic and needs to be thoroughly investigated, while the government has termed it a conspiracy and urged the Supreme Court to dismiss petitions outright.
A Pakistani-American businessman Mansoor Ijaz had claimed that he was asked by former Pakistani ambassador to US Husain Haqqani to deliver the memo to Mike Mullen, the former US military chief, seeking US support to avert a military takeover following the killing of Osama bin Laden in May.
Earlier Army Chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani had reaffirmed his commitment to democracy, but made it clear that the military would not back down from `memogate` standoff with the government. (KMW News)