Letter to the army chief: Ijaz’s counsel demands army protection for client

Malik says his ministry is supposed to provide security to foreigners not army, ISI.

ISLAMABAD:

Mansoor Ijaz’s security seems to have become more of an issue than the very purpose for which he is visiting the country.

Ijaz, the central character in the Memogate scandal, will not settle for anything less than the army’s security upon his arrival to Pakistan – ironically banking on an institution that he has spent many years defaming abroad.

Pakistani-US businessman Ijaz’s counsel Akram Sheikh says he will advise his client against travelling to Pakistan in case the army itself does not make security arrangements for him – in line with the suggestion of the commission probing the controversial memo.

On Saturday, Sheikh wrote letters to Attorney General Maulvi Anwarul Haq and Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani to make sure that the army provides security to Ijaz. He informed both the officials that they would be committing contempt of the commission’s order if they did not ensure provision of the army’s security to his client.

He further said he would be forced to request the commission to get Ijaz’s testimony abroad – a request, he added, that was lawful and in accordance with the Supreme Court’s order.

The insistence on army security has, as expected, irked a few in the civilian administration.

Interior Minister Rehman Malik told reporters on Saturday that the Pakistan Army and the Inter-Services Intelligence are not security forces and added that the interior ministry is supposed to provide security to foreigners.

Malik, however, did add that the army can be called in to provide Ijaz security – if required.

As the controversy over Ijaz’s security rises, the attorney general told The Express Tribune that security arrangements for Ijaz have been finalised in consultation with the defence secretary.

The attorney general said that the commission had asked him to make appropriate security arrangements for Ijaz in its January 9 order.

“I have met with the secretaries of defence and interior, besides the representatives of federal security agencies to finalise the arrangements,” he said. Haq added that army personnel could be involved, if required, under Article 245 of the Constitution.

However, Ijaz’s counsel doesn’t seem convinced – going as far as writing a letter directly to Gen Kayani to ensure security for his client in line with the order of the commission probing the Memogate affair.

He added that his client felt that the safety of his life, and his material and electronic devices were in danger.

On January 9, Sheikh said the commission had ordered: “Security may also be provided to Ijaz by the personnel of Pakistan Army in addition to the security, which the learned attorney general deems appropriate.”

“…I call upon you to assure me of your readiness to meet your legal obligation and comply with the direction of the commission,” Sheikh wrote.

In his letter to the attorney general, Sheikh said he had informed the commission that his client had earlier delayed his arrival to Pakistan because the interior minister threatened him with a case under Article 6 of the Constitution.

“You (the attorney general) had also undertaken before the commission that you would communicate the cell number of the Battalion Commander for making security arrangements for Ijaz and his equipment,” he said.

“To the contrary, Security and Counter-terrorism DIG Dr Mujeebur Rahman Khan informed me that he has been appointed as the focal person for providing security to my client,” Sheikh added.

He further said the official also told him that this decision had been taken in a meeting chaired by the attorney general. “This arrangement is not acceptable to Ijaz,” the counsel added.

Sheikh told The Express Tribune that neither the attorney general nor the army chief has replied to the letters, thus far.

ISPR was not available to comment on whether the army was responding to Sheikh’s letter.

(WITH ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY ZAHID GISHKORI IN ISLAMABAD)

Published in The Express Tribune, January 22^nd, 2012.

[poll id="632"]