THE controversial American businessman at the centre of the ‘Memogate’ scandal threatening to bring down the government of Pakistan has told the Guardian he plans to fly into the country to tell what he describes as the ‘unaltered truth’ before the courts, reports Guardian.
As he prepared to fly into Pakistan, where he is due to testify next week, Ijaz told the Guardian by phone from Switzerland that he would bring with him records of phone calls and text message exchanges with Haqqani to prove his case.
"I am coming because it is important that there be no perception left about whether I feared telling the truth on the record, whether I feared the threats, whether I feared the government and its sharp-tongued ministers, whether I feared facing Haqqani and his legal team – I'm ready for all of them.
"I intend to speak truth to power loudly," said Ijaz, a former Wall Street financier with strong connections to the American security establishment.
There were reports in Pakistan last night that Ijaz would not show up. Ijaz insisted that he would come to Pakistan, though he hinted that it might not be on Monday, the day the court is expecting him. He also told the Guardian that he expected to testify in camera; the court has not so far said it will allow that.
Ijaz said that he saw Pasha because he became concerned that he had been tricked into breaking Pakistani or American law.
"When I realised that there was something more going on here than met the eye – things that Haqqani did which made me realise this – that's when I decided the whole truth needed to be told with the same vigour that Haqqani was trying to hide it," said Ijaz, who is proud of his Pakistani ancestry.