9:09 AM
ISLAMABAD: Former Envoy Husain Haqqani Tuesday claimed that he did not issue any unauthorised visas during the 41-months he served as Pakistan’s Ambassador to Washington, also observing that public opinion in this country was unfavourable to USA and vice versa.
Haqqani stated this during his statement before the Inquiry Commission which is probing the incident of American raid of May 2 at Abbottabad compound with the former ambassador mostly repeating the already published reports regarding his activities in the aftermath of the incident.
He deposed that he himself and the embassy acted fully in accordance with directions received from the Foreign Ministry.
Former Senior Judge of Supreme Court and President of the Commission, Justice Javed Iqbal, chaired the meeting of the Inquiry Commission.
The former ambassador, who was summoned by the Commission said he was on his way to Islamabad via London and Dubai when the operation took place and he first found out about it upon landing at Heathrow airport in the early morning of May 2.
He said he was instructed to immediately turn around, which he did, and returned to Washington by around 5.00 p.m local time.
Husain Haqqani said he was serving as Pakistan’s ambassador to the US when the Abbottabad incident took place and his instructions were to ensure that the US government, Congress and media do not blame Pakistan’s government, armed forces or intelligence services for allowing Osama bin Laden’s presence in the country, as that would have been a violation of UN Security Council resolution 1267 and 1373.
“I was also to protest the violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty by US forces in conducting the operation and to point out how that violated the norms of international conduct between two sovereign countries,” he added.
Haqqani said over the next few days, he faithfully and diligently carried out instructions and met with US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan and the Deputy National Security Adviser of the President of the US to register protest over violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty.
He said under his instructions, officers of the Embassy met their respective counterpart officials in the US government to do the same.
“I also protested reports in the US media, attributed to US officials and members of Congress, that Pakistan was somehow complicit or responsible in bin Laden’s stay in Pakistan,” he said, adding that Cypher Telegrams, comprising record of these meetings were sent to the Foreign Office in Islamabad.
He said for their part, the US officials were intransigent and even threatening in their tone, another fact that he informed Islamabad in official communications.
He said they were not only unwilling to apologize for violating Pakistani sovereignty but demanded Pakistan’s cooperation in giving access to data and persons found from the house in Abbottabad where the raid was conducted. They also demanded the return of the wreckage of the stealth helicopter that had been damaged and left behind during the operation.
Husain Haqqani said a few days later, US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan and the Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency visited Islamabad for discussions with all branches of the government. During the same time, he (Haqqani) was also asked to be present in Islamabad for consultations.
About the statement issued on May 2 by President of UN Security Council, he said it welcomed end of Osama bin Laden’s ability to perpetrate terrorist acts and urged united states to remain vigilant and intensify their efforts in that fight.
It also reaffirmed that terrorism could not and should not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilization or group.
The Council also expressed its deepest condolences to the victims of terrorism and their families and stressed the need for the full implementation of all its resolutions and statements on terrorism.
He said US officials pointed to UNSC resolutions and this statement by the Security Council’s President to justify their unilateral action in Abbottabad in disregard of Pakistani sovereignty.
“I may add that while in Pakistan, violation of our sovereignty was seen as the principal issue, in the US everyone in and out of US government was focused on Osama bin Laden’s presence in Abbottabad,’ he said.
Husain Haqqani said as such, the task before the Pakistan embassy in Washington was to ensure that the negative mood in the US does not result in aggressive sanctions or restrictions on Pakistan by the US Congress.
Posted in: NATIONAL
