Three leading US senators on Thursday voiced concern over Pakistan’s treatment of its former envoy to Washington accused of crafting a controversial memo which has triggered a scandal.
Husain Haqqani resigned over the affair and a Pakistani commission is probing the unsigned memo said to have sought Washington’s help to head off a feared military coup in May in exchange for overhauling the country’s powerful security leadership. The statement from Republican senators John McCain and Mark Kirk as well as independent Senator Joe Lieberman voiced concern that Haqqani may be “becoming a political tool for revenge”, and urged Pakistan to resolve the issue swiftly.
“We are increasingly troubled by ambassador Haqqani’s treatment since he returned home to Pakistan, including the travel ban imposed on him,” the statement said, adding he had served “honourably” as ambassador to the US. “Like many in Washington, we are closely following ambassador Haqqani’s case. We urge Pakistani authorities to resolve this matter swiftly and consistent with civilian rule of law,” the senators urged. Islamabad should “prevent the judicial commission investigating ambassador Haqqani from becoming a political tool for revenge against an honourable man,” they added.
US senators ‘concerned’ for Husain Haqqani
