Mystery surrounds Mansoor Ijaz’s Pak Visa Status
Another controversy has arisen regarding Mansoor Ijaz who created a stir in Pakistan’s Politics by publishing an Article in Financial Times. This time all the debate is going on about his visa application status to visit Pakistan where he is due to appear before a judicial commission probing memogate case. Some of the media reports mainly from the Indian media suggested that he has been issued a visa from the Pakistan embassy in Bern, Switzerland enabling him to appear before the court on his committed date 25th January 2012. However Pakistan’s foreign minister declined this report and said that Mr. Ijaz did not apply for visa through any embassy in the world including Pakistan embassy in Switzerland.
During last hearing of the Memogate commission on January 16 this year Ijaz’s counsel, Akram told that his client has submitted visa application to Pakistan embassy at Bern Switzerland and is expected to get visa over next couple of days and after that he will travel to Pakistan to attend the next hearing. Mr. Sheikh further added that his client and his family have hesitations over their security in Pakistan and fear that they may not be allowed to travel back from Pakistan. He pursued deferment of the hearing until the appearance of Mansoor Ijaz. Haqqani’s lawyer opposed the adjournment requested to block the travel of Ijaz (if he appears) before the commission concludes its proceedings. He was advised to file an application regarding this in the Supreme Court of Pakistan. The court had ordered the Pakistani diplomatic missions in England and Switzerland to grant Ijaz a visa as soon as one was applied for.
Mystery still surrounds his travel plans and his visa status. Every now and then he announces to visit Pakistan without applying for visa. It is yet to determine that weather he will actually visit Pakistan or not.