Pakistani Envoy To US Leaves For Islamabad

Islamabad, Nov. 20, IRNA – Pakistani Ambassador to US Hussain Haqqani has left for Pakistan to explain his position over leaked memo controversy, local media reported Saturday. Before boarding a flight back home he met with the US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Ambassador Marc Grossman. Hussain Haqqani was summoned to Islamabad by Prime Minister Yusaf Raza Gilani to explain his position regarding the controversial memo allegedly written to former US military chief Admiral Mike Mullen. A memo was published by western media which alleged fears of a military coup in Pakistan and the army’s complicity in the Osama bin Laden raid. The memo was allegedly delivered to Mike Mullen by a Pakistani American businessman Mansoor Ijaz at the behest of Ambassador Haqqani in the week after the Bin Laden raid. The memo said it was a golden opportunity after Osama operation to have a civilian control over the intelligence agencies. Mike Mullen was urged to ask the military to control the intelligence agencies. Hussain Haqqani has denied writing and sending any secret memo to US Admiral Mike Mullen and termed it a conspiracy against him. The Ambassador said that he was being made a scapegoat for doing his job, of maintaining good relations with the United States of America. Earlier, Mr Haqqani clarified that he was still Pakistan’s ambassador because he had not resigned and had only sent a resignation offer to Islamabad. Mr Haqqani has offered to resign if found guilty and has urged the government to hold an inquiry to determine who stirred this crisis. “I have no objection to an independent inquiry. I will soon be in Pakistan,” he said. “It is the president’s prerogative to retain or not to retain me as ambassador.” The ambassador said he stood for Pakistan and the army in the most difficult of times, especially during the Kerry-Lugar bill and the Osama bin Laden raid. “In the Abbottabad incident I defended the Pakistan army in front of the whole world,” he said, adding that no agency in Pakistan had ever raised questions about his character./end