Memogate Case: SC orders to bring back Hussain Haqqani in 30 days

ISLAMABAD (92 News) – The Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday has given 30-day deadline to authorities concerned to bring former Pakistan’s Ambassador to US Hussain Haqqani back to Pakistan. A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar was conducting hearing of the case. In today’s proceedings, Foreign and Interior Secretaries appeared before the court. The CJP ordered to bring the former ambassador back to Pakistan within 30-days and said that no excuse would be tolerated after 30 days. In the previous hearing, the top court expressed dissatisfaction over government’s measures to bring former Pakistan’s Ambassador to US Hussain Haqqani back to Pakistan. The court questioned about the progress made to bring Haqqani back, to which Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Director had said that letters have been written to Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Foreign Affarirs and a case was lodged against the former envoy. The FIA director sought time from the court for completion of legal formalities to ensure his arrest through Interpol. 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 criticized by the Pakistani parliament for his column in The Washington Post in which he had written that he had helped US forces in eliminating al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden. Charges brought against the ex-envoy include criminal conspiracy and waging a war against Pakistan. Haqqani had left Pakistan on January 3, 2013, after assuring the court that he would return on a four-day notice. He, however, did not return and on June 4, 2013, the court had directed the government to bring him back.