Husain Haqqani considers suing Imran Khan for defamation

"Strange that Imran Khan blames for his downfall someone with no position of power for 11 years," says ex-diplomat

By
Web Desk
|
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan (L) and former Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States Husain Haqqani. — Instagram
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan (L) and former Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States Husain Haqqani. — Instagram

  • Husain Haqqani rejects Imran Khan's accusations. 
  • Says PTI chief continues to invoke his name in matters which do not concern him.
  • US lobbying firm hired Haqqani's services for research. 


Husain Haqqani, former Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States, denied the accusations levelled against him by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, saying that he has contacted his lawyers to proceed against the former premier. 

During an interaction with journalists in Lahore on Sunday, the former prime minister accused Gen (retd) Bajwa of hiring the services of Haqqani for lobbying in the US.

The deposed prime minister also said Haqqani launched a campaign against him and had been promoting the former army chief in the US.

He also claimed that Bajwa’s "setup is still working in the establishment".

Reacting to the PTI chief's allegations today, Haqqani said that the PTI chief does not get tired of blaming a person who has not held any position of power for 11 years.  He said that the former premier continues to invoke his name in matters which do not concern him.

"I have asked my lawyers to take action," tweets the former envoy when asked about legal proceedings.

Sources close to the former ambassador told Geo News that Haqqani hasn't been associated with Pakistani politics for years. They said that the lobbying firm in the US hired Haqqani for research. 

"Husain Haqqani is not answerable for his research work," added the sources. 

The sources further said that Haqqani has never been interested in working with the PTI. 

He has written four books and hundreds of articles and will continue to write, they added. 

Haqqani made headlines in 2011 and was sacked after the memogate scandal. He was accused of seeking US action against Pakistan’s military through the so-called memo months after the US raid in Abbottabad in 2011 on Osama Bin Laden’s compound amid an increasing rift between the civilian and military leadership.

He was also accused of issuing visas to Americans without due process, bypassing relevant authorities, and embezzling funds.

The Supreme Court dismissed the Memogate case in February 2019, with then-Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa asking, “Are the state of Pakistan, armed forces and our Constitution so weak that they can be frightened by a memo?"

Other allegations against Haqqani were never taken to court or ever proved and have been consistently described by him as "politically motivated".