Ijaz accuses Rehman Malik of threatening him for planning to testify on memo issue in Islamabad

Islamabad, Mar 2 (ANI): Pakistani-American businessman Mansoor Ijaz has said accused influential Pakistani and US officials, including Interior Minister Rehman Malik, of harassing him in connection with traveling to Islamabad to testify on the Memo Gate controversy.

"Before I could finalise my plan to appear in person before the honourable judicial commission, some American and Pakistani officials threatened me of serious consequences in case I travelled to Pakistan," The Nation quoted Mansoor, as saying. n being asked to reveal the name of those who tried to harass him, Mansoor replied that Interior Minister Rehman Malik was one the prominent personalities who threatened him of dire consequences if he dared to travel to Pakistan.

"I have been receiving threatening SMS on my cell phone in different languages including English, Urdu and Arabic. Husain Haqqani never sent any hostile SMS ever; however, I am sure he was using some of his American and other friends to threaten me," Mansoor told the Memo Gate commission communicating through the video link.

During the cross-examination, Mansoor also revealed that there was real a threat of military coup in Pakistan following the unilateral US covert operation in Abbottabad, in which American commandos killed Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden.

Suited in a smart dress with usual confidence and seriousness on his face, Mansoor added that the threat was also confirmed by the security agencies of four other countries.

"I had credible information from a well-informed source in the written form that Pakistan was heading towards another bloodless coup following the Abbottabad operation. Also I had received a classified draft about ISI Chief Pasha's visit and the Abbottabad operation," Mansoor said, but he refused to reveal the source when asked. e also said the information about the 'bloodless coup' was based on the secret draft he had received from a reliable source, adding that he had to pass the 'memo' to a higher American official, following the confirmation of Haqqani's claim by the officials of the secret services of four different countries. (ANI)