Pakistan SC issues arrest warrant against ex-envoy to US

Pakistan's Supreme Court on Thursday issued an arrest warrant against the country's former Ambassador to the US, Husain Haqqani, in the "Memogate" scandal.

The 2011 "Memogate" controversy revolves around a memorandum allegedly drafted by Haqqani ostensibly seeking help from the Obama administration in the wake of the Osama bin Laden raid to avert a military takeover in Pakistan. Haqqani, who served as Ambassador from 2008 to 2011 in the US, was removed from office for his alleged role in the issue, the Dawn newspaper reported.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) asked Interpol to issue a red warrant to nab Haqqani, who has failed to comply with the court orders to appear before it in the "Memogate" case. On January 3, 2013, Haqqani left Pakistan with the commitment to come back on a four-day notice and the court had allowed him to go abroad.

He, however, did not return to the country and breached his commitment with the court. On June 4, 2013, the court had directed the executive to bring him back. Additional Attorney General Waqar Rana had earlier said that all measures will be taken to bring Haqqani back from the US.

Reacting to the move, Haqqani said on Twitter that it was "sad that highest court of Pakistan persists with such antics for local TV news coverage. "Such political 'warrants' have not been honoured abroad in the past, won't work now," he said. On February 1, the top court had constituted a three-member bench to resume hearings of the controversial case.

In December 2017, three people had separately lodged FIRs against him for delivering hate speeches and writing books and articles against the Pakistan armed forces. They accused Haqqani of contributing to enemy propaganda while residing in the US, "which was threatening the peace of Pakistan".

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