While a defiant Mansoor Ijaz insisted that nothing would stop him from entering Pakistan, Interior Minister Rehman Malik warned that the government will put Ijaz’s name on the Exit Control List, if requested by the Parliamentary Committee on National Security.
On Monday, the Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS) summoned the Memogate protagonist to appear before it on January 26 to probe the controversial memo – and it doesn’t look as if Ijaz is any mood to oblige.
But the interior minister said the government has options in this regard.
“I will issue an order to put Ijaz’s name on the ECL if PCNS wishes to do so,” Interior Minister Rehman Malik told reporters on Saturday.
Earlier on Saturday, Ijaz said that he was not afraid any threats and that ‘nothing could stop’ him from visiting Pakistan.
In an interview with Indian TV channel NDTV, the businessman said that he would bring his BlackBerry devices to Pakistan and make them available to the commission probing the scandal.
“I am coming. I am going to tell the truth. I am going to put the truth on the record forcefully, and I am going to make sure that the people of Pakistan, finally, are able to hold their government accountable for the actions that they take in their name,” Ijaz said.
In response to Interior Minister Rehman Malik’s warning of arresting Ijaz on his arrival, he said that Malik does not even know the facts and had been sending “veiled threats” to him through different statements.
“Malik is someone, I believe, who is prone to make statements of such exaggeration, that he doesn’t even understand what the facts are,” he added.
Ijaz further said that it would be fair to assume that he would arrive in Pakistan before January 26.
In response to the latest development, chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS) Senator Raza Rabbani said he would speak on the issue through the committee.
Rabbani was commenting on a statement by Ijaz’s counsel Akram Sheikh that the PCNS could not summon his client because he is an American citizen.
Former interior minister Aftab Sherpao, also a member of the committee, said Ijaz should assist committee members to enable them to uncover the truth.
Meanwhile, Opposition leader in the Punjab Assembly Raja Riaz has requested for permission to attend the January 26 committee meeting in order to ‘question’ Ijaz.
Riaz’s close friends told The Express Tribune that he will question Ijaz about his alleged role in toppling former premier Benazir Bhutto’s government in 1997 and the reasons behind his alleged close association with Pakistani intelligent agencies.
“Raja Riaz wanted to appear before the committee to question Ijaz,” confirmed the interior minister.
(ADDITIONAL INPUT BY NEWS DESK)
Published in The Express Tribune, January 22nd, 2012.
COMMENTS (4)
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Memogate in real sense make no sense for state like ours. This issue seems as if we are watching a movie where we are observing a last fearing moments. In that we only envisioned for the survival of a hero and doom for a villian. We just watch it and waiting for it's end. Play writers knows only what could be The End of that scene. Memogate issue, to me , seems nothing but a melodrama. We believe in true democracy and its best survival. This comes only when we have sincere and man of latters politicians having visionary leadership qualities. After that we don't forsee any conspiracy hitch inside or outside the state as American business tycoon did.
By using all these tactics PPP's government is seeming insincere and dishonest to resolve memogate's scandal by threatening Mansoor Ijaz of severe circumstances.
The main character who wrote the memo and delivered to the US general and has been spitting venom against Pakistan, army and ISI must be questioned about his motives. The bipartisan committee of highest elected officials must be able to interrogate his activities, motives and truth to unmask the conspiracy that was hatched in the US. Only the conspirators would not want the issue debated in a bipartisan basis.