Shujaat comes to Zardari’s rescue

BAHAWALPUR: Chief of the Pakistan Muslim League – Quaid (PML-Q) Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain on Saturday defended the Presidency in the latest ‘memogate’ scandal by saying that President Asif Ali Zardari had not written any secret memo to former US admiral Mike Mullen.

“President Zardari is not a child that he would direct Hussain Haqqani to write a memo to Mullen,” Hussain told media representatives.

He also targeted the Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) for what he said was the employment of “cheap tactics for political gains” and said that Nawaz Sharif’s campaign against the president had failed.

Speaking regarding the upcoming elections, Hussain said the present government would complete its term and elections would be held on time.

He said his party would go into seat adjustment with the Pakistan People’s Party.

Hussain also advocated the carving out of new provinces and said new provinces should be created.

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Govt not pursuing treason case against Husain Haqqani: Malik

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Rehman Malik on Saturday said that the government was not planning to pursue a case of treason against Husain Haqqani, FTNews reported.

Haqqani has been accused of being behind an explosive memo that asked for Washington’s help in reining in the Pakistani military. He denies the charge.

Speaking to media representatives in Islamabad, Malik said “only an exchange of blackberry messages has surfaced in this case…it would have to be assessed as to who initiated this exchange of messages”.

He further said that the government was continuing its probe into the assassination of former premier Benazir Bhutto and that all those involved in the conspiracy would be exposed.

Regarding the Mumbai attacks case, Malik said Pakistan had written and dispatched a letter to the Indian government regarding a judicial commission.

He said the commission would travel to India once the Indian government communicates a response in this regard.

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Husain Haqqani leaves for Islamabad

KARACHI: Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States Husain Haqqani has departed for Islamabad, FTNews reported.

Haqqani is expected to answer allegations he wrote an explosive memo that asked for Washington’s help in reining in the Pakistani military.

Pakistan’s civilian government has been facing a crisis following a claim by Mansoor Ijaz, a US citizen of Pakistani origin, that he delivered a memo to then-US military chief Adm. Mike Mullen a week after the US raid killed al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad.

The memo allegedly requests US help in installing a ”new security team” in Islamabad friendly to Washington.

Ijaz says that the ambassador, Husain Haqqani, was behind the memo.

Haqqani, who denies he was behind the memo, tweeted on Saturday he was heading to the ”motherland”. Officials confirmed his return.

Haqqani also met with US special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan Marc Grossman before departing for Islamabad.

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Posted in: NATIONAL