Parliamentary panel can�t summon Mansoor Ijaz: Akram Shaikh

ISLAMABAD: Memogate scandal’s protagonist, Mansoor Ijaz’s counsel Akram Shaikh Saturday said that parliamentary committee was not authorized to summon his client, Geo News reported.

This was how he pled, while giving the committee a reason for his client’s opting against producing himself before the parliamentary panel.

Talking to Geo News, he said that the committee’s powers were no different from a civil court, which could not send a subpoena to a foreigner binding him to appear before the court as a witness when he was not willing to summit to the order.

Having said that, he also told Geo News that, according to Supreme Court order, the commission --formed to probe the ‘memogate’ scandal-- and the parliamentary body could exchange any piece of record if they wanted to.

Akram Sheikh moving SC to ensure Mansoor�s security

ISLAMABAD: Mansoor Ijaz, a key witness in Memogate, is challenging the decision of the federal government pertaining to his security during his stay in Pakistan that has been entrusted to the federal Interior Ministry.

The commission probing the Memogate had earlier assigned the security to the army but as Mansoor Ijaz obtained visa on Thursday to travel to Pakistan to appear before the commission, the Interior Ministry has unilaterally taken over the security of the Pakistan origin US national.

Barrister Akram Sheikh, counsel for Mansoor, is approaching the Supreme Court with an urgent plea for ensuring security to the US national during his stay in Pakistan through the army.

Meanwhile, Mansoor has ignored the notice of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS) headed by Senator Raza Rabbani that has summoned him to appear before it on January 26. He is going to advise the PCNS to obtain the record that is needed by it from the commission where he will be getting his evidence recorded.

Mansoor Ijaz has planned to travel to Pakistan by his own jet that will be reaching Islamabad in wee hours of Sunday and his security arrangements would be closely monitored by the US mission in Islamabad. The monitoring would continue as long he will be on Pakistan’s soil.

The three-member probing commission headed by Justice Qazi Faiz Issa had already delegated the security of Mansoor Ijaz to the army; and in case the army takes over the security of Mansoor, no civilian agency personnel would be allowed to reach him and question him about any matter. In case the foolproof security is not ensured to Mansoor Ijaz, he would be submitting to the commission to come to London for collection of evidence and recording of his statement.