There was threat of a military coup following the Abbottabad operation: Mansoor Ijaz

LONDON: During his cross-examination, Mansoor Ijaz revealed that there was threat of a military coup in Pakistan following the US operation in Abbottabad in which al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden was killed.

Ijaz added that the threat of the coup was also confirmed by the intelligence sources of three to four other countries. He said after visits of ISI Chief he decided to deliver the memo to Mike Mullen.

The memo commission headed by Chief Justice of Baluchistan High Court Qazi Faiz Isa met here on Thursday. Two other members of the commission are Chief Justice of Sindh High Court Musheer Alam and Chief Justice of Islamabad High Court Iqbal Hameed-ur-Rehman.

Mansoor Ijaz was cross-examined via a video link from the Pakistani High Commission in London.

The US business man while elaborating on this threat said he had received a draft about ISI Chief Pasha's visit to foreign countries and the May 2 incident, however he refused to comment on the source or how he had received the draft.

The documents contain data of Pakistani air traffic following the US raid on the compound of Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad and data of communication between American helicopter pilots.

In the confidential documents the text of the conversation between President Zardari and Army Chief Kayani following the death of the al Qaeda leader is also included.

Ijaz agreed to handover the confidential draft to commission secretary on the directives of the commission.

He said that he was responsible for the delivery of memo to Gen. James Jones.