ISLAMABAD: The judicial commission probing the Memogate scandal has given Mansoor Ijaz one final chance and has summoned the Pakistan-American businessman on February 9, Express News reported on Tuesday.
Justice Qazi Faez Isa, who is heading the commission, said that the commission will not travel abroad to record Ijaz's statement. However, it has decided to send the secretary of the commission to meet with the Pakistani-American aboard his flight to Pakistan.
It further issued directives to ensure fool proof security for Ijaz's arrival, stay and departure.
The commission has said that a letter will be written to the Supreme Court to request that the four week deadline to finish the probe be extended.
The Pakistan-American businessman, who is one of the central characters of the Memogate scandal, has twice denied coming to Pakistan to record his statement before the commission, citing security issues.
Earlier today, Interior Minister Rehman Malik had stated that Ijaz's name had not been placed on the Exit Control List and that the interior ministry had issued a clarification on the matter. Malik was ordered to appear before the commission to respond to the 'threatening' statements he gave regarding Mansoor Ijaz's visit to Pakistan.
Following the order, Attorney General Maulvi Anwarul Haq had talked to Malik who said that he will appear before the commission today.
“The commission has ordered the interior minister to appear before the commission today and explain his statements about Mansoor Ijaz's security,” attorney general Maulvi Anwarul Haq earlier told reporters.
The minister had warned that the government will place Ijaz’s name on the Exit Control List, if requested by the parliamentary committee formed to probe the scandal.
Justice Qazi Faez Isa, heading the bench, had inquired why Ijaz was not coming to Pakistan. Ijaz's lawyer Akram Sheikh had said that his client wanted to bring all proofs to the commission, but the interior ministry had threatened to place his name on the Exit Control List (ECL).
Sheikh added that the army should be the focal point of Ijaz's security in the country.
Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani had earlier ruled out army security for Ijaz, saying that the government will not spend billions of rupees on a "dishonest" person.
The Supreme Court had formed the judicial commission on December 30 last year and had given a four-week deadline to complete the investigations.
Parliamentary panel rejects Raja Riaz plea
Meanwhile, the Parliamentary Committee on National Security, tasked with probing the Memogate scandal, has rejected Pakistan Peoples Party leader Raja Riaz’s plea to become a party in the case, terming it “an irrelevant plea”.
Raja Riaz, who is the opposition leader in the Punjab Assembly, requested the panel to move against Ijaz for not only Memogate but also for playing a key role in toppling former premier Benazir Bhutto’s government.
Haqqani's counsel wants Ijaz to be held in contempt of commission
Husain Haqqani's counsel Zahid Bukhari, while speaking to the media before the hearing, said that Ijaz should be held in contempt of the commission for not appearing as ordered several times.
He added that the security had been arranged as per Ijaz's demands and if he had any issues with the arrangements, he could have asked for the required changes.
Bukhari further said that there was no law which supported the commission going out of the country to record Ijaz's statements.
Government not creating hurdles in Ijaz’s way: Chandio
Federal Law Minister Maula Bux Chandio has said that the government is not stopping Ijaz from coming to Pakistan and presenting his stance in front of the commission.
Speaking to the media in Hyderabad, Chandio said that the government was not creating hurdles in Ijaz’s way.
“I question what threats his visit to Pakistan pose to his life,” Chandio said. “He [Ijaz] might be a VIP, in fact, a VVIP. We could have provided him security. We don’t have anything against his visit to Pakistan.”
COMMENTS (43)
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@Azam Khan: These are not tactics but willful attempts to misguide the people.
People can try to turn around the PM calling Ijaz "dishonest" all they want for a deflection tactic but, if you remove his little "dishonest" insult from it, the rest is still the truth. How about singling out the part of what he says that actually matters? The parts being picked and the comments on them amount to noise.
I'd hate to have a run in with the security coordinator who doesn't try to make the security fool proof every single time. ...Or instead of the vague reference, whenever someone a security agency is protecting dies, which has happened plenty of times in history, they will call it fool proof right up until they find out it wasn't by the person ending up dead.
Let us give a few more last chances to the double agent. He has not rediculed Pakistan, army, ISI, govt and high judiciary enough in the world as yet!
@FactCheck: Unfortunately you have not considered one important point. Pasha doesn't fly to.evey city in the world to verify the so-called "facts"! If Pasha runs after a journalist, he better be ready for the worst!
Memogate has brought the country to a virtual standstill. It is as if an unsigned memo has erased all other issues from our memories. The civilian government is under pressure while there is a motivated campaign to bring about a clash between state institutions. Rumourmongers might have had a field day with the Memogate issue but it is now clear that it was an issue that should never have taken up so much of our energies. Prime Minister Gilani is right when he said that the Memogate fiasco should come to an end following the statement of General James Jones. Those who were wishing for a clash between the military and the government would also be disappointed after army chief General Kayani and Gillani’s meeting.
Gives meaning to "Stupid is what stupid does". You cannot summon a citizen of another country for writing a letter. What next? Start summoning every journalist for writing against Pakistan? If that is the case, the list is very long.
Start summoning one by one, should keep you busy for while.
@Shahid Malik: Lahol Bilakuwat! DG ISI and crimes? No Siree! No member of Armed Forces ever commits a crime! Crimes are meant to be committed by civilians!
Can someone explain to me why it is OK if Pasha goes to Arab countries to garner their Govt's support to overthrow Zardari Govt in a coup d'état, why it is OK for Mush to run to King Abdullah to save him from being arrested on arrival and it is NOT ok for Zardari/Gilani to seek such a support from USA, an ally of many years! Seems like Khaki (present or past) can do anything and it is accepted. But Zardari & Gilani must suffer in silence? What a country!!!
@Acorn Guts: For a moment I thought you are referring to Grand Old Party (GOP=Republican Party of Nixon, Reagan, Bush-I, Bush-II etc). It took me a minute to realise that you were referring to Govt. of Pakistan!
@Azam Khan: Perhaps, but counsel cannot express publicly what he knows not to be true - his license to practice law would be suspended in any other country..
Its all drama to divert the attention from real issues.
Fool me once - shame on you. Fool me twice - shame on me. Pretty sure that Ijaz is shooting for a 3'rd "no show".
If Pakistan is so secure then how come Hussain Haqqani and Zardari are holed in PM and President houses.Rehman Malik providing security to any one is a big joke.They could not even protect BB , Salman Taseer and Sri Lankan cricket team.
If Supreme court had this spent time on BUGTI, LAL MASJID, MISSING PERSON and Baluchistan Cases it could have benefited the NATION and SC would have earned more respect and trust in the eyes of NATION
CH Shujaat Proven right "END RESULT OF MEMOGATE WILL BE 0"as he said it many times in the beginning
@Feroz:
Sadly you are right
@F: Absolutely right. Haqqani could have easily conveyed the Memo himself. Why would he use such an unreliable and notorious character for such a sensitive matter?
With due respect to honorable judges please leave chasing this man. He and his masters are more shroud and intelligent than you all. He will never be trapped. Do not waste your precious time. Do not you have many other pending cases. US is super power and PP knows very well how to exploit this power. What poor supreme court judges can do against the might of US. You all know it well. So please leace it as a bad joke.
This will be a great dis-service to the nation if this guy is not heard. What ever it takes, he should be heard. Inside or outside Pakistan.
Scamster Mansoor Ijaz has made Pakistani Institutions including the Judiciary and Military the laughing stock of the World. In their hurry to throw out a democratically elected Government they have colluded on an nonsensical and irrelevant unsigned memo. A banana republic would be a charitable description for the State.
I am amazed to see how stupid our judges are!!!! They are wasting their time for this person..... thousands of cases are pending in their respective courts; i wish they should have allocated their time to these cases rather than chasing a man who will never come.......
@Maryam: Service.......lolzzzzzz what kind of service u expeting from this Govt?? Loadshadding, Energy Crisis, corruption and Mauj Masti..........:)
Why is he described as a Pakistani-American? He is born in Florida and raised in Virginia. He is as American as they get. Why are we wasting so much money and time on this nonsense? Hussain Haqani is not stupid to document something like this in a form of a memo, especially after wiki leaks and then use this guy as a conduit when he himself had access to the highest levels of government in the US?
This guy should not be given more chances and SC should close this case for ever. This guy made Maamoo of everyone, he is a liar and stupidisco! Let supreme court concentrate on hundred of thousands of cases pending with them of ordinary people. And also let this elected government serve the people in the remaining last year of their service.
Mansoor Ejaz's name presently is not on ECL list.
But his name will appear on the ECL as soon as his plane with touch down at Pakistan's soil.
How can Pakistan will allow Mansoor Ejaz to go back without punishment for degrading the name of country.
Mansoor Ejaz should know that this is not Sudan or some other small African country. This is Pakistan and any one who will touch Pakistan should know that his hands will be burnt without giving him to explain his self concocted story.
PAKISTAN ZINDABAD
Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani had earlier ruled out army security for Ijaz, saying that the government will not spend billions of rupees on a “dishonest” person. How does the honorable PM justify spending billions of rupees on dishonest people serving in his Government/Cabinet?
The court needs to be blunt here.....the govt is trying everything to save their political life....and they cannot let Ijaz in at any cost. The court should direct the army to be in charge of Ijaz's security....otherwise there is no way he will come to Pakistan and testify
Haqqani loosing big time
DG ISI should say everything in public. The people of Pakistan need to know facts. Is he trying to hide his crimes?
dirty politics of Pakistan
@Hasan I am sure the counsel knows that Ijaz cannot be held in contempt: these are just tactics to muddy the waters.
I don't understand .. Do GOP want to clear our country's name off this mess or not?
The Government has made it impossible for Ijaz to appear before the Court and even the PM jumped in to scare him off. Army with major stake in the case looked passive, so why should Ijaz risk his security
How can you blame Ijaz for his concerns on security when the Prime Minister admits on the floor of the House that the President could not even visit his ailing father in the PIMS for six weeks for security concerns. Since, the President finds security in Dubai or London only there is no harm if Ijaz is skeptical of security from Rehman Malik headed Ministry...
Can a foreign national be kept on ECL?
Why does the DG of ISI needs an in camera breifing
"Husain Haqqani’s counsel Zahid Bukhari ... said that Ijaz should be held in contempt of the commission..."
Ijaz is a US citizen, with no legal obligation to Pakistan, so counsel can you please explain why it's not back to law school for you?