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Punjab government promises Mansoor Ijaz a safe visit
If federal government is not providing security, then Punjab government will arrange for it, says Shahbaz Sharif.
If federal government is not providing security, then Punjab government will arrange for it, says chief minister. PHOTO: NNI/FILE
Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Thursday offered ‘adequate security’ to Mansoor Ijaz if he comes to Punjab to record his statement in the Memogate scandal.
Talking to Express News, Sharif said that he will take personal responsibility of providing complete security to Ijaz during his visit to Pakistan.
He said that he will welcome Ijaz and will provide him security till the last moment he is in Pakistan, and also offered the judicial commission probing the controversial memo to come to the province to record Ijaz’s statements.
Ijaz has repeatedly refused to visit Pakistan citing security reasons despite several assurances as the judicial commission summoned him over and over again. The parliamentary committee probing the issue gave him a final deadline of February 10 to appear before the committee.
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Reader Comments (38)
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Can you please focus on the criminal negligence and bad governance of Punjab Government??? The latest feather in your cap has claimed more than 100 lives of heart patients.
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Why doesn’t Sharif take personal responsibility in providing safe medicines in his province? Talk is cheap my friend.Recommend
Punjab government cannot provide security, proper arrangements, genuine medicines to its people and yet the focus is on providing security to Mansoor Ijaz e for political mileage based on jingoistic issue.
Given a choice between national security/treason issues and basic necessity issues like food, security, healthcare government will choose the first option. There is no hard work just talk to do the 1st option.Recommend
Dear CM… How about Mansoor Ijaz falling prey to Dengue??? :P
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Khadim E ala Sb first Provide security to people of Punjab .Recommend
How about saving the heart patients of PIC first? Why is an American’s life more important than numerous Pakistani lives?Recommend
dear commentators, dont you appriciate the Pubjab goverment being better others. Actually we only see the shortcommings. While criticizing them we must also appriciate the good work.Recommend
Can you please concentrate on the health issues of the people for whom you named yourself as Khadim-i-Ala?
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Please convice him to come to Pakistan too so that everyone can get to know reality of present government. There are serious allegations on Army and I personally as a citizen of Pakistan have a rigth to know truth behing those allegations. God bless you Mr. CM
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Give Him a Party Ticket too.
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this is good idea
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why is shahbaz so keen for ijaz to come! ?? after all he took the case to court. What is in it for him?.
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So Mansoor Ijaz will be the next Prime Ministerial candidate of Pakistan Memo League. He will make Pakistan very secure!
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Round-2 of Mansoor Ijaz drama.
M. R@fique Zakaria
Karachi
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Ask him to bring his own medications and mosquito repellant. Also better hope security is better than B Bhutto got , look how that ended…….
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Finally a good decision comes and people don’t seem to appreciate it. People of Pakistan deserve to see the outcome of this investigation. None of us like to plead to a foreign power and the result of this investigation may draw a line for people with such plans.
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It would be best if the Judicial Commission and Parliamentary Commission take MI’s testimony in another country, such as, KSA, Dubai, UK or Switzerland, or even USA. Both Commissions can also question MI jointly, if possible. If Pakistani’s really want to know the whole truth, both on the their Army and their Government, examining MI outside Pakistan would be the best. This way MI shall have no fear of persecution or threat and can give an honest testimony that would reveal the whole truth not only against HH and AZ but also against Kayani and Pasha. If HH has to be present at the hearing in the foreign country, Pakistan’s courts and Government can work out a deal with that country to guarantee that HH shall not be allowed an opportunity to escape and shall be sent back to Pakistan.
I am sure that neither the Army nor the Government would allow this to happen as both shall stand exposed.Recommend
@sars:
Put blame of all the ills occurred in Punjab since 1947 on Shahbaz Sharif. Bravo commentators.
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all the above comments make me laugh , , , ,Ha Ha Ha .. :-)
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@Mian M Imran
You are saying that Punjab Govt. is better than others.I would say that they are worse and the others are worst.This Punjab Govt.has mostly escaped from the criticism of the media due to their good relations with anchors and newspaper journalists.What did they do in the examination results fiasco?Dr.Majid Naeem,the IT consultant of Punjab Govt, is brother-in-law of Mr.Ishaq Dar and you know that Ishaq Dar is a close relative of Nawaz Sharif.
What did the Punjab government do in taking preemptive measures against Dengue fever when the experts had warned last year that this disease will attack Punjab in the next year?What is the general law-n-order situation in Punjab?Though, it is better than Karachi, but I again say, if the law-n-order in Karachi is worst, it is worse in Punjab.So, why do you compare worse performance with worst performance?
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i will say only 1 thing that is another PML(N) drama
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There is a reason as to why Shahbaz sharif has issued this statement! firstly to deflect attention from this medecines fiasco!
And secondly its being used as a pressure tactic against the govt in order to announce early elections and set up a “neutral” caretaker set up! This has been the main sticking point in the secret talks between the govt and pmln where it is believed that talks have stalled over the caretaker set up issue!
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i wana ask opponents of the statement that why dont they encourage the positive happenings and if there is any critisism on some other issue they should comment on that … this non soense is the main reason of our today…… what u want memo case should not be investigated ??? and one thing .. shahbaz is the only CM who is delivering … and every ainka bainka is tryiong to throw stones….. i suggest u to find some good things if any ..done by CM balochistan, sind and KPK……. he is the only CM who is being ceitisized by central govt …. even then he is the only CM who has delivered the merrit in each deptt….. and has investigated the issues properly …. let the inquiry do his job .. then do critisize on inquiry result if it demands so…….
be positive …. and pray for the betterment of the ctry …. -ve critisism results in nothiong
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@HoneyBee: Good for you.
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My dear chief minister, istead of poking your nose in federal affairs, please try to show some good governance in Punjab. What ever you are suggesting every simple Pakistani can smell that you are saying it, ” In Bughze Moavia and not in Hubbe Ali”. Please do not go that for in enmity of your political rivals.
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@Umer:
Don’t you know the exchange rate: one US $ = 90 Pak Rupees. Thus one US citizen is worth 90 Pak citizens.
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@Ali Salman Alvi: I agree that the Memogate Scandal is a Federal Matter and the CM of a province should stay out of the matter. You miss the mark when you try to link a tragedy which has to do with free medicines to his governance. Yes there should be a full and complete inquiry as to why the pharma companies and the physicians were using these medicines. And yes many of these medicines were produced in Karachi which is another province. The fact that the Punjab CM is looking into the matter and will take action is good. That is all he can do in the present circumstances. You forget that Punjab remains the best managed and best governed province in the Federation largely due to the hard work of the CM.
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As usual late response from PMLN. No doubt they are such a friendly opposition.
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cm sab we don’t need your drama! first Provide security to people of Punjab…..
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Talking to Express News, CM Punjab, Shahbaz Sharif said that he doesn’t accept Asif Ali Zardari as head of the State. Calling him a corrupt person, Shahbaz said that President of Pakistan was responsible of all the evils in the country.
Sir! If Zardari as head of the State is responsible for all the evils in the country, than you, as Chief Minister of a province are responsible for hundreds of deaths due to substandard medicine and dengue. You also hold portfolio of health ministry, so applying your above mentioned logic, don’t you consider yourself responsible for the deaths.
It was interesting to watch you talking about accountability. Sir! a sitting minister in your cabinet, Dost Muhammad Khosa, is alleged to have kidnapped and killed his wife Sapna Khan and police was not even registering case against him. Dost Khosa is attending assembly sessions as a free man.
Mr. Chief Minister Punjab, do you recall when was the last time you attended Punjab Assembly’s proceedings. Well, I believe you are too busy a man and you have matters of more importance to attend to.
I do appreciate the development works you are carrying out in Lahore, but Sir! you are Chief Minister of the whole province. Other cities of Punjab also demand development. Roads in Rawalpindi and other cities also require flyovers and underpasses.
Shahbaz Sharif! you promised ‘adequate security’ to Mansoor Ijaz if he comes to Punjab to record his statement in Memo case. Mansoor Ijaz is an American citizen; your intentions of providing him security reminded me of Aimal Kansi. He was a Pakistani citizen, and was handed over to America from Dera Ghazi Khan in 1997. You were also Chief Minister of Punjab then, but I think you do not like providing security to Pakistanis.
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Since MI’s lawyer is insistent on Military security, will someone please clarify,
A. Is the Military owned by Punjab Govt? OR
B. Is the Punjab Govt an extension of the Military?
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…but yesterday in the Punjab Assembly they wanted to ban all nataks and now this – they should make up their minds.
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mr amjad khda se daro ,what CM and what administration ,and don’t spread hatred by tracing origin of drugs to another provinceRecommend
Advice to Mansoor, don’t trust this Shreef family and Punjab govt.
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MI’s lawyer needs MI’s security until he is paid in full, even if MI’s security costs 5 billion to the poor nation.
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Salman Taseer killed in the Punjab, Benazir Bhutto i guess also murdered here or son of Salman Taseer’s son kidnapped, dozen bomb blasts in this province and CM is claiming that he will provide security to Mansoor Ejaz.Recommend
@Mian M Imran: thanks for the advice Mian Saheb.
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I admire Shareef so much. For his cool sense of humor.
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