Former ambassador to the US Hussain Haqqani on Saturday said there were threats to his life in Pakistan so he could not appear before the Memo Commission but he said he was ready to record his statement through a video link.
Talking to a private TV channel, he said after the memo scandal, some elements declared him traitor of the country, however he said the threat to his life was a reality.
“The second reason for not coming Pakistan is bad health and my doctors have advised me rest,” he said.
“The lawyers who showered the murderer of Salmaan Taseer with rose petals did not have their licences cancelled… even a retired judge, Justice Khawaja Sharif became his lawyer. I do not want to take the risk of coming to Pakistan where some fanatic could gun me down by declaring me traitor of the country and one of the retired judges would take the killer’s case to the court,” Haqqani said.
He said he should get the same right which Mansoor Ijaz was given. “The Supreme Court allowed him to go abroad on January30. There is not any case against him .The people belonged to the party of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto should also be dispensed of the justice.”
He said, “I thought after the incident of May 2, the US will adopt a hard stance to ask Pakistan that what was Osama was doing in Pakistan and under whom arrangements he was staying there. But some people did not like my opinion and I was trapped in the memo scandal. I did not say that I would never come to Pakistan. I would travel when my doctor allows me to,” he added.