The chances of Mansoor Ijaz, the central character of the “memogate” scandal, visiting Pakistan have brightened after an assurance by Hamid Asghar Kidwai, a former executive director of Mehran Bank, that the military would ensure his safe return from the country, Online news agency reported, as Ijaz told a French newspaper that he had obtained a Pakistani visa for his visit and would go to the country despite several threats to his life. Online reported that a top intelligence official met Kidwai in Dubai and gave him an assurance on behalf of the military establishment that Ijaz would return safely after giving his testimony before the judicial commission probing the memo case. Online sources said that Kidwai had engaged Akram Sheikh to represent Ijaz in the case and had also secured the power of attorney from Ijaz in this regard. According to sources close to Kidwai, who is currently based in Dubai, he had formally accepted the role of an intermediary between Ijaz and the Pakistani military establishment. “It is obvious that cash-memo is now directly involved in the memo case as people like Ijaz and Kidwai hardly move without money,” the sources claimed, adding that the military establishment was not going to leave any stone unturned to make sure that Ijaz appeared before the commission appointed by the Supreme Court. “The establishment fears losing the case if the prime witness does or could not appear before the commission,” they said. Meanwhile, Ijaz claimed that he would present more evidence before the enquiry commission when he appears before it to testify against former envoy to US, Husain Haqqani. He also appreciated the military establishment “for keeping calm” in the present situation. A section of the press reported last year that the Federal Investigation Agency had been forcing the Mehran Bank authorities to register a case against Kidwai for stealing documents regarding political bribes given between 1990 and 1994.
Mansoor Ijaz ‘gets Pakistani visa’, all set for visit
