Daily Times

The Supreme Court on Thursday tasked the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to bring back to Pakistan the country’s former ambassador to the United States, Husain Haqqani, who is accused in the Memogate scandal.

A top court bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar was hearing the Memogate scandal.

During the hearing, Justice Nisar remarked that the NAB had agreements with United Nations Security Council (UNSC) pertaining to the return of suspects.

According to amicus curiae Ahmer Bilal Soofi, the NAB can bring Haqqani back to Pakistan, the CJP said.

CJP directs Ahmer Bilal Soofi to assist court in bringing back Husain Haqqani.

“NAB chairman can issue warrants for the former ambassador’s return,” Justice Nisar added and tasked the accountability bureau with his extradition.

The bench observed that there were difficulties owing to a lack of repatriation agreements between Pakistan and other countries.

The top court recommended that laws be drafted for bringing back suspects to the country and directed parliament to make legislation on repatriation agreements with other countries within a month.

In 2011, the Memogate scandal came to the fore when Pakistani-American businessman Mansoor Ijaz claimed to have received an “anti-army” memo from Haqqani, the then Pakistani envoy in Washington, for US joint chiefs chairman Admiral Mike Mullen.

The memo sent by Haqqani in 2011 allegedly mentioned a possible army coup in Pakistan following the US raid in Abbottabad to kill Osama bin Laden.

It sought assistance from the US for the then-Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) government for “reigning in the military and intelligence agencies”.

A judicial commission tasked to probe the case had concluded that the memo was authentic and authored by the former envoy.

The commission said the purpose of the memo was to convince American officials that Pakistan’s civilian government was “pro-American”.

Published in Daily Times, August 31^st 2018.