News
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Mansoor Ijaz not coming to Pakistan* Key witness in memogate scandal refuses to appear before judicial commission citing security threats
* Requests commission to testify him in London or Zurich
* Ijaz’s lawyer says his client fears being detained indefinitely if he sets foot on Pakistani soil
ISLAMABAD: The central character in the memogate scandal, Mansoor Ijaz, refused to appear before the judicial commission investigating the case, citing concerns about his safety, his lawyer said on Monday.
Mansoor Ijaz, however, agreed to testify before the commission if its members travelled to London or Zurich to record his testimony, stated an application submitted to the commission on Ijaz’s behalf by his counsel Akram Sheikh.
Mansoor Ijaz was scheduled to arrive in Islamabad to appear before the judicial commission today (Tuesday), but has bickered with the government over who will guarantee his safety.
Ijaz claimed that the commission ordered the military to guarantee his security during his stay in Pakistan, but the government says the Interior Ministry was responsible for providing the required security. Moreover, Interior Minister Rehman Malik has warned that Ijaz’s name could be placed on the Exit Control List once he comes here.
Police in Islamabad said on Monday they were willing to ensure Ijaz’s security, but his lawyer Akram Sheikh told reporters that his client feared being detained indefinitely if he sets foot on Pakistani soil.
“It seems like a well-orchestrated trap to hold Mr Ijaz indefinitely in Pakistan after his deposition before the commission,” Sheikh said.
“Mr Ijaz refuses to walk knowingly into the trap being laid by the government and waits to speak the truth of this case. I informed him of the fundamental change that has been introduced in his security arrangements in stark violation of the commission’s orders of January 9 and 16,” Sheikh said while talking to reporters outside the Supreme Court.
He said in compliance with the attorney general’s orders, the Islamabad inspector general of police visited him and told him that all arrangements have been made for Ijaz’s security, and that if need be, the army’s assistance would be sought through the district magistrate.
The application further stated that apart from risks to Ijaz’s life, he holds valuable equipment/evidence, including BlackBerry handsets, computers, emails and notes, that Ijaz believes could be destroyed.
Attorney General of Pakistan Maulvi Anwarul Haq said everything had been done to ensure Ijaz’s security, but said there was “no medicine for suspicion”.
“We had assured him foolproof security and army was also on board and an army officer was deputed for this purpose,” the AGP said. “I think he does not want to come,” adding that it was up to the commission to decide how to proceed further.
The judicial commission is expected to determine later this month whether the government endorsed the memo, which was delivered on May 10 to Admiral Mike Mullen, the then US joint chiefs of staff.
Ijaz accused the Pakistani government of orchestrating an unsigned memo that he delivered to the US last year asking Washington to help stop a supposed military coup following the American raid that killed Osama bin Laden. Islamabad has denied any involvement. ali hassan/afp
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk