Ijaz in London to record statement

KARACHI: Pakistani-American businessman Mansoor Ijaz has begun recording his statement in London, the media reported on Wednesday.

A key player in the “memogate” scandal Ijaz arrived at the Pakistan High Commission in London on Wednesday to record his statement through video link with the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

The proceedings have begun but were delayed earlier due to some unknown reason.

The media has not been allowed to enter the proceedings.

According to media reports, Ijaz said that he was gratfeul to the judicial commission conducting the probe for the hearing.

"May God's wrath fall upon me if I lie," Mansoor Ijaz is reported to have said.

However, there were some technical glitches during the recording.

During the hearing Pakistan's former ambassador to the US Husain Haqqani's council Zahid Bukhari objected that the statement should not be recorded in Urdu as Mansoor Ijaz's statement is being recorded in English shorthand and recording it in Urdu would create discrepancies.

Ijaz said, "I have been in touch with Pakistani leaders since the last 10 years."

"I met President Asif Ali Zardari, Pervez Musharraf and DG ISI Ahmed Shuja Pasha on different occasions," he added.

He said he contacted Husain Haqqani on May 3, 2011.

Mansoor Ijaz handed over his own and Husain Haqqani's Blackberry PIN code ID 2326A3 and the former amabassador's email to the commission.

Ijaz said, "I called Husain Haqqani on 0044207 1060900 from Monaco."

The American businessman tycoon said, Haqqani was in Room No. 430 in London's Pakland Hotel at the time.

To a question, Ijaz replied, "Haqqani asked me to call him urgently."

Justice Qazi Faez Isa is heading the bench hearing the memogate case.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2012