Islamabad, Jan 7 (IANS): Pakistani-American businessman Mansoor Ijaz has informed the memo probe commission of his availability in mid-January for testifying while offering his BlackBerry for forensic investigation about his alleged communication with former ambassador Husain Haqqani.
In an application filed through his counsel Akram Sheikh, Ijaz informed the judicial commission he would be available from Jan 16 to 20 and it might not be possible to complete the process of forensic investigation before that, the Dawn reported.
Ijaz claims to have delivered a memo to the then US military chief Gen. Mike Mullen in May last year at the behest of Haqqani and the Pakistani government to avert a likely military coup, kicking in a scandal that generated much heat in Pakistan.
The commission has summoned President Asif Ali Zardari, army chief Gen. Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, Inter-Services Intelligence chief Ahmed Shuja Pasha and Husain Haqqani, among others, at its next hearing Jan 9.
For collection of the requisite data and to ease the commission's burden in collecting key evidence, Ijaz said he was ready to waive his privacy rights and surrender his BlackBerry sets voluntarily and willingly.
He also offered his two PIN numbers related to all communication between him and Haqqani. But he also requested the commission to direct Haqqani to also surrender his sets and privacy rights.
Ijaz said he would instruct his service provider in the United Kingdom to provide a copy of the relevant telephone records directly to the commission during his presence for his testimony.
Meanwhile, Sajid Tanoli, a defence counsel for Haqqani, said he and senior counsel Zahaid Bukhari would appear before the commission Monday and present their client's point of view.
Tanoli said Ijaz levelled false allegations against his client and he would have to present evidence to prove these.
The memo probe commission held its first meeting at the Islamabad High Court building Jan 2.
Balochistan High Court Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa heads the three-member judicial commission.