The ISI conclusively authenticated the delivery of treasonous secret memo to Admiral Mike Mullen before Chief of the Army Staff, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani recently took up the serious issue with all seriousness with President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani.
Informed sources said that a key ISI official personally flew to Europe recently and met Mansoor, the man who caused the storm, to ascertain the authenticity of the evidence as claimed by him. It was only after the ISI’s satisfaction over the kind of evidence that Mansoor produced that the army chief decided to take up the matter with the president and prime minister.
Although, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Washington Husain Haqqani categorically denied his involvement in the memo issue in any manner, Mansoor showed to the ISI all the relevant messages, e-mails and other evidence to prove that Haqqani was the person who initiated and drafted the memo.
Of late Mansoor, an influential Pakistani-American businessman, had told Geo TV n an interview that he had already shared his evidence with some Pakistani officials. He, however, had not disclosed that the official(s) he met was from the ISI.
Husain Haqqani, however, pleads that he is innocent and has nothing to do with the memo as referred to by Mansoor and confirmed to have been received by Mike Mullen after his initial denial. Haqqani also assures that he would be in Islamabad in a few days time to explain his position before President Asif Ali Zardari.
The Presidency as well as the government insists that Haqqani would be here very soon to clarify his position but some believe that he might not come unless he is sure that he would not be arrested or interrogated.
Haqqani says that he has a lot of opposition in Pakistan for the reason that many in Pakistan do not like a civilian ambassador to serve Pakistan in Washington. He did not explain as to who precisely are against him in Pakistan, he is believed to be referring to the country’s Establishment that from day one was not happy with his appointment as Pakistan’s ambassador in Washington.
There are some who do suggest here in Islamabad that Haqqani should be taken into custody upon his arrival in Pakistan. The secret memo issue remained a non issue for the Presidency, prime minister, the regime and even the ambassador till the time the army chief took a clear stance that this is too serious an issue to be overlooked. Although the government has finally moved and sought an explanation from Haqqani, despite the publication of Mansoor’s article on the memo issue in the Financial Times on Oct 10, the Presidency, the Washington embassy or the government here have not issued a rebuttal to FT.
Before the memo issue, the Pakistan Army and the ISI have been extremely upset with Haqqani on the matter of visa issuance to hundreds of Americans without due prior-scrutiny of the Pakistani security agencies. Haqqani, however, denied this charge but despite the Establishment’s reservations the Gilani regime following US pressure authorised the Haqqani-led Washington embassy to issue visas on its own without referring their cases even to the FO and the ISI and other security agencies.
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