By IANS,
Islamabad: The judicial commission probing memogate has directed authorities to provide security to Pakistani-American businessman Mansoor Ijaz, one of the key figures in the scandal.
The commission Tuesday said that Mansoor Ijaz is a prime witness, and, therefore, his security should be ensured, Geo News reported.
The panel asked Mansoor Ijaz’s counsel Akram Sheikh about his absence.
Sheikh said Ijaz wanted to come but was constantly receiving threats. He was also not satisfied with the security being provided by the interior ministry.
He demanded that the man in charge of Ijaz’s security must be an army officer.
Sheikh Monday said that Ijaz will not come to Pakistan because he will be arrested upon his arrival.
Ijaz was expected to appear Tuesday before the three-member judicial commission set up by the Supreme Court to investigate the memo scandal.
Ijaz claimed to have last year delivered a secret memo to then US chief of staff Gen. Mike Mullen at the behest of then envoy to the US Husain Haqqani and the Pakistani government. The memo said that President Asif Ali Zardari feared a military coup after Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden was killed May 2 last year at his hideout in Abbottabad near Islamabad.