Pakistani envoy to US denies sending memo
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
Islamabad, Nov 18, IRNA -- Pakistani Ambassador to US Hussain Haqqani denied writing and sending any secret memo to US Admiral Mike Mullen and termed it a conspiracy against him, local media reported on Friday.
Mansoor Ijaz, a Pakistani-American businessman, had said that it was Ambassador Husain Haqqani who asked him to deliver an alleged memo to the then American military chief Admiral Mike Mullen days after the May 2 US raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound, seeking his help to avert a possible military coup in Pakistan.
President Zardari was reportedly worried that the US raid had so humiliated his government, which did not know about it beforehand, that the military may stage a coup something that has happened repeatedly in Pakistan s history, said Ijaz.
Ambassador Husain Haqqani denying the allegations against him said that the entire raucous has been created due to one man’s claim and he has already responded to that.
“I do not want this non-issue of an insignificant memo written by a private individual and not considered credible by its lone recipient to undermine democracy,' Haqqani told the media.
According to Haqqani, many people were against his posting in the USA as a civilian ambassador had been appointed after a long time. Haqqani added that he tried his best to strengthen democratic process in Pakistan.
Haqqani again said that he has no objection with the investigation of the matter.
He said that he is going to Pakistan on the orders of President Zardari and he will decide about his future as an ambassador.
Admiral Mike Mullen’s spokesman, Capt. John Kirby, has confirmed to Foreign Policy website that Mullen did receive the memo from Ijaz, but he did not find it credible and ignored it. 'Adm. Mullen had no recollection of the memo and no relationship with Mr. Ijaz,' Kirby said.
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Islamic Republic News Agency/IRNA NewsCode: 30668703
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