Permanent arrest warrants issued for Husain Haqqani

ISLAMABAD: A special court on Friday issued permanent arrest warrants for former ambassador to the United States, Husain Haqqani.

During the hearing of Memogate case headed by Special Judge Irum Niazi, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) presented its report, alleging Haqqani of embezzling $2 million.

The officials said that the ex-ambassador is deliberately hiding to avoid arrest.

The Memogate controversy revolves around a memorandum allegedly drafted by Haqqani at the behest of former president Asif Ali Zardari and addressed to US Admiral Mike Mullen.

Haqqani was criticised by the Pakistani parliament for his column in The Washington Post in which he had written that he had helped US forces in action against al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden when the government and the Inter-Services Intelligence had been kept in the dark about the secret operation.

On January 3, 2013, he left the country on a four-day notice with the commitment to come back. He, however, did not return to the country from the United States.

Haqqani had served as ambassador in US from 2008 to 2011 and was removed for his alleged role in the Memogate controversy. He had also served as ambassador to Sri Lanka from 1992 to 1993.