Former ambassador to the US Husain Haqqani has issued a rejoinder to identical stories in a numbers of newspapers that cite the US-based Smith Richardson Foundation’s research grant for the writing of his 2005 bestselling book ‘Pakistan Between Mosque and Military’. Haqqani said this was a crass example of exploiting sentiments in Pakistan where people have been fed a steady diet of conspiracy theories. “In the academic world it is normal for foundations to provide financial support to research institutions such as the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace where I conducted my research and which published my book. Instead of sensationalising the fact that a foundation paid $100,000 for research and publication of the book, the media should encourage other Pakistanis to undertake research and publication of books reflecting their own point of view,” the former envoy said.
Haqqani said even if people disagreed with some views expressed in a book, it was more important and scholarly to write and publish than to remain limited to orchestrating hate campaigns against those who had made the effort to research and write, he said. “In a free and democratic society, one should not have to defend one’s patriotism against such hate campaigns,” Haqqani added.
