PCNS likely to dispose memogate case if Mansoor Ijaz fail to appear

The Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS) is all set to dispose of the memogate case, if Mansoor Ijaz, the central character of the entire saga, fails to appear before the panel by February 10.

A member of the parliamentary committee while speaking to the media said that there would be no reason for the panel to continue the case if the key witness of the case does not appear.

“How can the committee investigate the memo issue further if Ijaz, the man who has created the controversy, does not turn up,” he maintained adding no more time would be given to him.

Earlier, Ijaz was summoned to appear before the parliamentary panel on January 26 however, he failed doing so. The panel then issued fresh notices to him for February 10. The committee has not received any written or verbal response from Mansoor Ijaz so far.

On the other hand, the Judicial Commission constituted by the Supreme Court to probe the infamous case once again gave time until February 09. Earlier, it summoned him on January 24 but the US businessman failed to appear citing security reasons as main hurdle in this regard.

It is learnt that Chairman PCNS, Mian Raza Rabbani, wanted to resolve the matter before the end of this month at all cost, as 9 out of 17 members of the committee (senators) will be retired after completing their terms.

After the retirement of these members, the PCNS will be reconstituted with the insertion of some new faces. The committee’s member further informed that the panel took the case as a challenge as all sides were criticizing and challenging its authority and powers to probe such an issue.

In his view, there would be no need to summon Husain Haqqani and DG, ISI Lt. Gen. Shuja Pahsa if Ijaz is failed to appear before the panel.

It is also vital to note it here that President Asif Ali Zardari during an interview had said that he would accept the decision of the parliamentary panel. He, however, did not respond a query regarding the judicial commission set up by Supreme Court tasked to probe the matter.

Rabbani had already said if Mansoor Ijaz failed to appear on the said date, the committee would pass on its recommendations to the concerned quarters.

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Posted by Faisal Farooq on Feb 3 2012. Filed under National, Pakistan, Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.