Memogate case: Supreme Court wants swift arrest of Hussain Haqqani

ISLAMABAD: Expressing dissatisfaction over a compliance report of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in the memogate case, the Supreme Court on Tuesday directed it to complete within two days the legal process of the repatriation of former Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States Hussain Haqqani.  

Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, who headed a bench, expressed displeasure over slow progress with regard to the arrest of Haqqani, asking whether the state was incapable of bringing back the man who fled the country.

He observed that it was a matter of prestige of the country and its courts.

The bench directed the secretaries of interior and foreign affairs to appear before it tomorrow.

The FIA authorities submitted a report, apprising that a first information report (FIR) had been lodged against Haqqani and sought time for completion of legal formalities to ensure his arrest through Interpol.

Earlier, the agency registered a case against Haqqani for allegedly embezzling secret funds and misusing his authority during his stint as Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States.

He was booked under Section 3, 4, 409, and 109 of Pakistan Penal Code by the agency’s anti-corruption circle.

In 2012, a judicial body had investigated the Memogate scandal and submitted its report to the apex court, holding Haqqani guilty of authoring the explosive memo and termed his acts disloyalty to the country.

Haqqani is alleged to have written a memo to Adm. Mike Mullen, the top US military officer at the time, offering greater government cooperation in return for helping avert possible dismissal of the civilian government in the wake of the May 2 raid which led to the capture and killing of Osama bin Laden.