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WASHINGTON: Three leading US senators Thursday voiced concern over Pakistan's treatment of its former envoy to Washington accused of crafting a controversial memo which has triggered a scandal.
Husain Haqqani resigned over the affair and a Pakistani commission is probing the unsigned memo said to have sought Washington's help to head off a feared military coup in May in exchange for overhauling the country's powerful security leadership.
The statement from Republican senators John McCain and Mark Kirk as well as independent Senator Joe Lieberman voiced concern that Haqqani may be “becoming a political tool for revenge,” and urged Pakistan to resolve the issue swiftly.
“We are increasingly troubled by ambassador Haqqani's treatment since he returned home to Pakistan, including the travel ban imposed on him,” the statement said, adding he had served “honorably” as ambassador to the US.
“Like many in Washington, we are closely following ambassador Haqqani's case. We urge Pakistani authorities to resolve this matter swiftly and consistent with civilian rule of law,” the senators urged.
Islamabad should “prevent the judicial commission investigating ambassador Haqqani from becoming a political tool for revenge against an honorable man,”they added.
“While we did not always agree with ambassador Haqqani, and our exchange of views could be spirited at times, we always had the highest respect for him and knew he was serving his nation and government with patriotism and distinction.”
The Pakistan commission on Monday summoned Haqqani to testify as well as former US national security adviser General James Jones and Pakistani intelligence agency chief lieutenant general Ahmad Shuja Pasha.
Tensions between the powerful army and government soared over the note, allegedly delivered to then US Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen in May and made public by an American-Pakistani businessman in October.
The businessman, Mansoor Ijaz has claimed that Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari feared the military might overthrow his government, and accused Haqqani of crafting the memo with the president's support.
“We regret that the Pakistani people have lost a tough-minded, eloquent, and principled advocate for their nation's interests now that Ambassador Haqqani has departed Washington,” the three senators added in their statement.
Haqqani has denied the allegations against him, and told Britain's Daily Telegraph earlier this week that the charges were “false” and part of a “psychological war” against him.
He also voiced fears about his safety saying “there are clear security concerns given the hysteria generated against me.”
