ISLAMABAD: Mansoor Ijaz recorded his statement for the Memogate case at the Pakistan High Commission in London, Express News reported Wednesday.

During the video link, Zahid Bukhari, counsel of former ambassador to US Husain Haqqani raised objections over the procedure of recording Ijaz’s testimony saying “this is not how testimonies are recorded”. He also said each word of Ijaz’s testimony should be written down.

Rebuffing Bukhari’s statement, the commission said that he should not interfere during the proceedings.

Bukhari alleged that while getting his statements recorded, Ijaz started “toying with his BlackBerry phone”. Justice Isa quipped, “You start fighting over everything.”

The commission told Ijaz to keep his phones on the table. Ijaz objected over Bukhari’s behaviour and said that his phones were already lying on the table.

Two big screens were installed in the Islamabad High Court to record Ijaz’s statements from the Pakistan High Commission in London via video link.

A three-member commission headed by Justice Qazi Faiz Isa recorded Ijaz’s testimony in Islamabad via video link.

Ijaz’s lawyer, Akram Sheikh and former ambassador to United States Hussain Haqqani’s lawyer, Zahid Bukhari, reached the Islamabad High Court.

Not being in front of the witness weakens my arguments, says Haqqani’s lawyer

While criticising the late arrival of his visa, Bukhari said that in today’s hearing of the Memogate case, he will ask the judicial commission to facilitate him as per his “legal right”.

Speaking to the media outside the Islamabad High Court, Bukhari said that the witness and the counsel should be face to face during a court’s proceedings because there are some “professional techniques” that needed to be followed.

“Your body language, your expressions and the way you put forth your arguments different when you are not in front of the witness,” said Haqqai’s lawyer.

Bukhari said that the commission has been facilitating Ijaz throughout the proceedings of the case. “I also request the court to provide me with appropriate facilities.”

He said that his visa came at a time when he could not be present in the Pakistan High Commission during Ijaz’s testimony and had he tried, he would have also missed out the commission’s proceedings in Islamabad.

The court has adjourned the hearing until February 22.