WASHINGTON: Pakistan’s Ambassador to US Hussain Haqqani and the US embassy in Islamabad on Friday denied a ABC News report that President Barack Obama’s national security adviser had threatened to expel Haqqani unless Raymond Davis, a US national arrested in Pakistan was not released by Friday.
Citing two Pakistani officials, ABC News said National Security Adviser Tom Donilon made the threat after summoning Haqqani to the White House. He was reportedly warned US consulates in Pakistan may be closed and President Asif Zardari’s upcoming visit to Washington could be cancelled if the US national, whom police say committed murder, was not freed.
ABC News said a senior US official confirmed the details, but Haqqani and the US embassy said the report was baseless. “While the US side has let its position be known to us, at no stage has any threat been made to me by any US official at any level and our dialogue continues,” Haqqani told AFP. “The US and Pakistan remain partners and we look forward to resolving the Raymond Davis case in accordance with international and Pakistani law and in the spirit of our countries’ friendship.”
Courtney Beale, spokeswoman for the US embassy in Islamabad, said: “The ABC report is not true.”
