WASHINGTON: Mansoor Ijaz, the central player in the memogate controversy, has said that that he was ready to appear before the Supreme Court, according to the South Asian News Agency (SANA) on Friday.
A written statement issued by Ijaz quoted him as saying that the apex court’s decision demonstrated that democracy was indeed alive and well in Pakistan.
He added that the SC had showed independence from the political brinkmanship of Pakistan’s ruling party in investigating the possibility of a malfeasance within its own ranks. He said that he was ready to appear before the SC in the memo case.
Earlier on Thursday, a nine-member special bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, ordered that a commission be formed to investigate the matter – one that is headed by former police officer Tariq Khosa.
The government has already announced that the Parliamentary Committee on National Security would be investigating the matter. The bi-partisan and bi-cameral committee has already begun its proceedings.
(Read: Memogate: Ignoring govt inquiry, court orders probe of its own)
A notice was issued in this regard by the Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, who said that all parties named in the petition must present their evidence in order for the memogate scandal to be investigated. The petition names 13 respondents including President Asif Ali Zardari, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani and the Director General of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
A Pakistani-American having links in the power corridors of the US and Pakistan, Ijaz had blown the whistle on the Memo after publishing the details in a October 10, 2011 o-ed in the Financial Times. A chain of events set forth from that article resulted in Pakistan recalling its Ambassador to US, Husain Haqqani and subsequently demanding his resignation.
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Now that there is no Husain Haqqani to defend Pakistan in Washington and the Western media, Ijaz has set the stage for a judicial inquiry. This is important because remember what is said and exhibited in the court is public record. For most issues of such national sensitivity, an in-camera inquiry would be ordered to protect the national interest. But in this case, Ijaz has carefully created a political, not a national security crisis. Over the weekend, Mansoor Ijaz continued to fan the flames of the case in the media, and told reporters that he was prepared to come to Pakistan to present evidence before the court (http:// www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=10752&Cat=13). This is a curious statement considering Mansoor Ijaz already had a private meeting with Gen Pasha during which he supposedly handed over all of his evidence to the ISI chief (http://www.thenews.com.pk/ TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=10409&Cat=13). If he was telling the truth, what would he present before the court that is not already in the hands of the ISI? To get a hint, perhaps we should revisit Mansoor Ijaz’s statements both before and after his controversial op-ed.
Is Mansoor Izzaj CIA/US agent succeeding in destabilizing in political System of Pakistan? He succeeded in getting scalp of Hussain Haqqani. Supreme Coutr has also got embroiled. Nawaz Sharif as usual, without thinking jumped the gun. And every talk show, believe it or not in shielding Army from take over, east Pakistan fiasco, Kargil Oct 1998,Mehran, GHQ attack and Abbotabad is getting day in and day out excoriated in the minds of people. Despite civilians are accountable but not Generals. Without investigating Mansoor Ijaz despite his controversial past activities, we dragged our own man. Things are fishy on the part of Mansoor Ijaz, when he says he is ready to appear before court, why he did not so far?. He is just issuing controversial statements to make situation worse, we should not pay focus on CIA’s mouthpiece non sense talks.
This is entertaining. A wealthy clown from Tallahassee is coming to perform in a circus in Islamabad. Hey, Mr clown, a play request, can you pull a list of 169 missing Op-Eds you wrote for different papers from your hat trick? The CNN could only account for one as per Peter Bergen's article. May help some in restoring your clown credibility.
Asaf
Mansoor Ijaz is a witness or party to a crime: His keeness is strange.
In this age, owing to terrorism, inflation, foreign enemies, bad government and inefficient arms of government, Pakistanis have become paranoid of everyone. Whether its Mansoor Ijaz, Abdus Sattar Edhi, Imam e Ka'ba or any one, we just don't trust a single person.
Let the facts speak themselves and entrust them.
Good he should expose American agents in this country worlds biggest traitors all there assets are overseas
As for ijaz he has his own issue with haqqani Is funny watching two American agents expose each other
Similar to ppp and pmln expose each other
If this foreigner (never a Pakistani) shady and shifty character is so reliable then his demands to the US govt that ISI regarded as terrorists organization should be true. Pakistani ISI cannot take it both ways. What suits them is truth, otherwise he is a liar. Make a decision please, he cannot be both at the same time.
He was Nawaz's Agents in U.S. the last card Nawaz had before he himself goes into oblivion.
Has Pakistan SC investigated the Kargil defeat, the Musharrf coup, the militant groups LeT, JeM who are supported by ISI/Army and engaged in terrorism ? How many officers were fired and held accountable for the genocide in East Pakistan and losing 1/2 the country ? The Pak SC is just the judicial wing of ISI.
Isn't it funny that that Mansoor Ijaz is a multi-millionaire and his photo seems to be taken from a 1.3MP mobile phone camera?
Mansoor Ijaz:
Wait for the Supreme Court of Pakistan’s summons.
SC will find out in view of your statements as to which hidden hand was working with you to malign Hussain Haqqani, ISI and Pakistan Army.
Don’t worry. Ultimately SC will find the truth.
Be very careful, as to your adventures !!!! This is DC or NYC, here people can just vanish, if not shot by strangers and in aftermath there will be invextigations which really never conclude any closures !!!!
He does seem to enjoy being on center stage. I hope the SC asked him to explain why anyone in the Pakistani govt would select someone who has so little credibility with US officials as a conduit for such a sensitive mission.