Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States Husain Haqqani has sent a notice of defamation to a local Urdu daily for publishing a column that claimed he had US citizenship.
The notice sent by Haqqani’s lawyer, Akhtar Awan, points out that on September 26, 2011, the daily published a defamatory column that claimed, among other things, that Haqqani had US nationality and was “Pakistan baizaar” (one who is sick of Pakistan). The notice pointed out the article penned by Dr Muhammad Ajmal Niazi was defamatory and propagated a deliberate lie with the view to malign the Pakistani ambassador.
Per Article 8 of the Defamation Ordinance, 2002, publishing an untrue claim is subject to libel and defamation proceedings. According to Haqqani’s lawyer, the false allegation had damaged his client’s reputation and his ability to function for the good of Pakistan as its representative in the United States at a critical juncture. The legal notice stressed that Haqqani had never held, obtained or applied for citizenship status in the US or any country other than Pakistan and had at times worked overseas like millions of patriotic Pakistanis while maintaining his commitment to and citizenship of Pakistan.
The notice asks the writer, Dr Niazi, the editor of the daily and its publisher to publish a prominently placed apology or present proof if they had any to substantiate their allegation within 14 days of the receipt of notice.
