Mansoor Ijaz gets last chance to appear before judicial commission

Mansoor Ijaz gets last chance to appear before judicial commission

The judicial commission has rejected the plea made by the Pakistani-American businessman Mansoor Ijaz to get his statement recorded outside Pakistan and gave him one final chance of appearing before the commission on February 9.

The commission also rejected the petition filed by Ijaz that requested the commission to record his abroad as he faced security threat in Pakistan and was not satisfied with the security protocol that was being arranged for him by the government.

The chairman of the judicial commission Justice Qazi Faez Isa told the media that they had no intention of travelling outside Pakistan.

However, in an effort to make the Pakistani-American businessman feel more at ease, the commission has offered to get his statement recorded by sending the commission’s secretary inside the plane which brings Ijaz to Pakistan and get his statement recorded
in the presence of immigration and security.

Ijaz, who is a central character in the Memogate issue, was scheduled to appear before the judicial commission on January 24. However, he was advised by his counsel Akram Sheikh to avoid coming to Pakistan unless a more appropriate security arrangement is
in place.

Sheikh explained to the commission that he fears the security of his client due to the recent statements of Interior Minister Rehman Malik, who has been threatening to add Ijaz’s name to Exit Control List (ECL), along with charging him for carrying out activities
against Pakistan, consequently convicting him of treason under Article 6.

On the other hand, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani has repeatedly stated that he will not allow millions of rupees to be spent on Ijaz’s protocol, stating that he was not a viceroy or President of America. According to him, it was the sole responsibility
of the Interior Ministry to look after Ijaz’s security and the army and rangers may be called for him if the ministry requires their services.

Malik has already been summoned by the judicial commission to give an explanation for his controversial and rather threatening statements regarding Ijaz’s trip to Pakistan in the recent days, accusing him of intervening in the commission’s affair.

The Interior Ministry apologized to the commission and assured them that he will ensure that the Pakistani-American is given the best possible security.

Short URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=10477

Posted by Muhammad Qasim Hassan on Jan 25 2012. Filed under Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry