The Pakistani judicial panel probing the memo scandal on Tuesday gave the American businessman Mansoor Ijaz a final opportunity to depose before it on February 9 after the star witness failed to appear for the second time citing security concerns.

The three-judge commission appointed by the Supreme Court issued the direction after Interior Minister Rehman Malik appeared before the commission this afternoon and gave an assurance that full security would be provided to the businessman, the central figure in the memo scandal that sparked a political crisis in the country.

In messages sent through this lawyer Akram Sheikh, the Pakistani American cited security concerns as his reason for not coming to Pakistan.

Ijaz has blamed the Pakistani government of orchestrating a memo, which he delivered to the US last year, seeking American help to stave off a possible military coup following the raid that killed Osama bin Laden in May last year.

The Pakistani government has denied any involvement.