Shahbaz promises Mansoor Ijaz full security in Lahore
27 January, 2012
LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Thursday extended his personal guarantee to provide an impregnable security cover to US businessman Mansoor Ijaz and asked him to arrive in the Punjab to record his statement in the memo scandal. It is pertinent to point out that both Allama Iqbal International Airport and Benazir International Airport are located in the Punjab. Responding to questions in a private TV talk show, the Punjab chief minister said that he would take personal responsibility for providing complete security to Ijaz during his visit to Pakistan. Shahbaz said that he would welcome Ijaz and provide him security till his departure from Pakistan. He also requested the Supreme Court- appointed judicial commission to record Mansoor's statement in Lahore. He dispelled the impression that Nawaz Sharif had lost interest in the memo case, saying how a petitioner could go back on his own petition. He said the PML-N was actively pursing the case in court. On the deaths in Punjab due to drug reaction, he vowed to bring the responsible elements to the book, saying he himself would quit if found responsible. In a related development, Shahbaz claimed that a top personality in Islamabad had directed Sri Lankan dengue experts to leave Pakistan. Meanwhile, the Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNC) on Thursday decided to summon US businessman of Pakistani origin, Mansoor Ijaz, again on February 10 and asked the authorities concerned to allay his apprehensions about security arrangements. Briefing the media after meeting of the committee held at the Parliament House, the committee chairman, Senator Raza Rabbani, said that Attorney General of Pakistan Maulvi Anwarul Haq had briefed the committee about the security arrangements made for Mansoor Ijaz during his possible stay in Pakistan. He said the committee reviewed the statement of the attorney general and reached the conclusion that prima facie the arrangements for the security of Mansoor Ijaz, who was scheduled to appear before the committee, were adequate. "The committee feels that if Mansoor Ijaz has any apprehensions regarding his security, it may be addressed keeping in view rules and law of the land," he added. Rabbani said the committee has decided to issue a fresh notice to Mansoor Ijaz asking him to appear before it on February 10. "This notice will be served in accordance with the past practice and through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs," he added. The chairman said that the memo commission secretary will also be requested to hand over the notice to Mansoor Ijaz when he would meet him at the airport to collect evidence. Members of the committee, including Ishaq Dar, Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Khan Abbassi, Prof Khurshid Ahmed, Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, Abdul Rahim Mandokhel, Wasim Sajjad and Israrullah Zehri attended the meeting. End.
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