Ijaz tells Pak SC he 'won't risk life by traveling to Islamabad' for Memo Gate testimony

Washington, Jan 29 (ANI): Pakistani-American businessman Mansoor Ijaz has filed an application in Supreme Court, saying he won't risk his life by traveling to Islamabad to testify on the Memo Gate issue.

He also urged the court to direct the judicial commission probing the memo scandal to record his statement outside Pakistan, the Daily Times reports.

Ijaz's lawyer Akram Sheikh filed the application under Order XXXIII Rule six of the Supreme Court rules 1980, and Article 187 of the constitution for recording the applicant's testimony outside Pakistan.

The applicant said that according to the Supreme Court order, the commission was also mandated to collect evidence within and outside Pakistan "according to prevailing laws on the subject".

It also reiterated that he did not want that his name be put on Exit Control List (ECL) if he enters Pakistan.

"The applicant does not want to be the suspected root cause of any institutional conflict between the Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS), the commission, the judiciary, the government and the armed forces on the issue of his security or otherwise," Mansoor Ijaz's application read.

The applicant said that Research In Motion had shown reluctance in providing data to the commission about conversations between him and former ambassador Husain Haqqani.

The applicant said he had executed a waiver to the company, enabling it to release his records, "but Husain Haqqani has categorically refused to execute any waiver/consent".

"On January 16, the AG [attorney general] reiterated the undertaking on January 9 regarding the security arrangements agreed to the same day. Consequently, the applicant started making preparation to visit Pakistan," the petition said.

"The applicant had taken all material steps and was all set to leave for Pakistan to appear before the commission on January 24. However, Interior Minister Rehman Malik made public statements that the applicant could be involved in other cases and stopped from leaving the country. He also made a statement if the Parliamentary Committee on National Security so desires, the name of Mansoor Ijaz could be put on the Exit Control List for crimes against the state," it added. (ANI)