RAWALPINDI: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has registered a case against former ambassador of Pakistan to the United States Hussain Haqqani — the central figure in the Memogate scandal.

However, Mr Haqqani through a statement termed the charges levelled against him ‘false’.

A senior FIA official has confirmed that a case has been registered against Mr Haqqani for allegedly misusing his powers as ambassador and under relevant laws.

He told Dawn on Monday that the agency would proceed against Mr Haqqani and seek his arrest.

Ex-envoy rejects charges

The FIA had already sought assistance of Interpol for the arrest of Mr Haqqani as he was wanted in the Memogate case being tried in the Supreme Court.

The FIA sent first request to Interpol soon after the SC had ordered to issue arrest warrants for Mr Haqqani.

The apex court had ordered Mr Haqqani to appear before it in the Memogate case, but he had failed to comply with the court order.

Responding to the FIA’s move, Mr Haqqani rejected the allegations levelled against him six years after his resignation.

“These charges have been manufactured after Interpol turned down an earlier request by FIA, under instructions from Supreme Court, for a red notice against me for refusing to return to a country where I feel my life is under threat,” he said in his statement.

He further said that the purpose was just to meet Interpol’s criteria for warrants because the international body did not get involved in political cases.

“Interpol and others outside Pakistan will see the absolute lack of credibility in this politically motivated exercise aimed at silencing a critic of the Pakistani state’s wrong policies, including its support for jihadi terrorism,” he added.

According to the former ambassador, this case will go nowhere not only because it is without basis, but also because what he called Pakistan’s politicised judiciary.

Mr Haqqani said he intended to carry on his life and let FIA and hidden hands behind it figure out how to fulfil their fantasy of forcing his return to Pakistan on “false charges”.

Published in Dawn, March 13th, 2018