From Rezaul H Laskar Islamabad, Jan 24 (PTI) Mansoor Ijaz, a star witness in the memo issue, today informed a judicial panel probing the scandal that he would not come to Pakistan to depose before it despite assurance by Interior Minister Rehman Malik that full security would be provided to the controversial businessman. After Malik gave the assurance, the three-judge commission appointed by the Supreme Court gave Ijaz's lawyer Akram Sheikh 30 minutes to consult the Pakistani-American businessman and ascertain whether he would come to Pakistan. Sheikh subsequently informed the panel that Ijaz had said he would not come to the country due to security concerns. Ijaz, the central figure in the memo scandal, has failed to make two scheduled appearances before the commission. He was initially asked to appear before the panel on January 16. After he failed to come to Pakistan, the commission acceded to his request to be given more time and asked him to depose on January 24. Earlier in the day, the commission summoned the Interior Minister after Sheikh alleged that Ijaz was receiving threats from government officials and he was not satisfied with the security to be provided by the Interior Ministry. Sheikh insisted that the army should be the focal organisation for Ijaz's security. Malik appeared before the commission in the afternoon and assured it that he would provide complete security to Ijaz. Malik told the panel he would not include Ijaz in the Exit Control List, an Interior Ministry document with names of all persons barred from travelling out of Pakistan. The minister said the media had misquoted his remarks. Though adequate arrangements had been made for Ijaz's security, he had complicated matters by demanding that an army battalion should be deployed to guard him, Malik said.