–AAG tells court FIA has asked Interpol to issue red warrant for Haqqani
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday issued arrest warrants for former ambassador of Pakistan to the US, Hussain Haqqani.
The SC had directed Haqqani to appear in the Memogate case but the latter failed to comply with the court orders.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has asked Interpol to issue a red warrant for Haqqani, Additional Attorney General Rana Waqar told the top court.
Earlier on Thursday, AAG Rana Waqar told the bench that they had spoken to officials in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Interior Ministry, as well as the FIA chief regarding the matter.
Subsequently, a committee had been constituted to take up the issue with the relevant authorities in the US, Waqar said, adding that it had done so.
Furthermore, he said that the FIA had approached Interpol and formally asked them to issue a red warrant.
The AAG told the bench that according to the standard operating procedure, the FIA needs an arrest warrant issued by the court.
In response, the apex court issued an arrest warrant for Haqqani.
Chief Justice Saqib Nisar, who was heading a three-member bench, remarked that Husain Haqqani had submitted an undertaking in court before leaving for the US that he would appear before the SC but he had not followed through.
At the last hearing on February 8, the top court summoned the secretaries of the interior and foreign affairs and the director general of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to discuss possible steps for bringing Husain Haqqani back to Pakistan.
The three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar has also dismissed Haqqani’s review petitions against the Supreme Court order to form a commission to probe Memogate. The review petitions have been dismissed on non-prosecution.
During the hearing Advocate on Record (AOR) Chaudhry Akhtar and Asma Jahangir appeared before the bench and stated that they have been instructed not to plead his case, therefore, they are withdrawing Wakalatnaama.
HAQQANI WON’T PURSUE MEMOGATE CASE:
Haqqani, on the other hand, on Wednesday gave clear instructions to his counsel to withdraw from all future Supreme Court (SC) hearings in connection with the Memogate case, saying, “The judiciary holds no relevance in the eyes of the world as it was at its lowest ebb.”
Haqqani said he did not trust the Pakistani establishment to provide justice on the basis of the fair play, adding that the Supreme Court was an important part of the establishment. He said that the reopening of the Memogate case after the passage of six years was “an attempt to make me the target of a propaganda to counter my forthcoming book, titled ‘Reimagining Pakistan’.”
Earlier, SC on February 2, constituted a three-member bench to resume the hearing of the controversial Memogate case involving former ambassador to the US Hussain Haqqani from February 8.
The Memogate scandal erupted in 2011 when Pakistani-American businessman Mansoor Ijaz claimed to have received an ‘anti-army’ memo from Haqqani for the then-US joint chiefs chairman Admiral Mike Mullen.
In this regard, a court notice has already been issued to Hussain Haqqani and other respondents of the case — including former prime minister Nawaz Sharif. The scandal, taken to the Supreme Court by then opposition leader Nawaz Sharif, led to Haqqani’s resignation.
The cases pertaining to the Memogate were registered under Sections 120b (hatching a criminal conspiracy) and 121a (waging a war against Pakistan) of the Pakistan Penal Code.
Earlier, the chief justice had summoned details of the Memogate case while hearing a case related to the right to vote for overseas Pakistanis.
” Hussain Haqqani se jo kaam lena the wo le lia” – quipped Mr 10% ( Asif Zardari) when asked about a memo sent for Admiral Mulleen on his behalf ( seeking help against Establishment ( read Army). Hussin Haqqani slipped out of the country with a promise to appear before Court whenever asked. But he is at large. Now to be seen whether or not he will return to appear before court. Chances are Asif Zardari will try his best to block his return because the ball will return in the Zardari court otherwise.
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