Pak SC asks Husain Haqqani to appear before it within 3 weeks

Islamabad: Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Monday warned that it would ask authorities to cancel the passport of former Ambassador to the US Husain Haqqani if he did not appear in court within three weeks in connection with a probe into a mysterious memo that allegedly sought American help to stave off a military coup. A nine-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry rejected Haqqani’s petition asking that he be exempted from personally appearing in court due to security concerns. [caption id=“attachment_655252” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Former Pak Ambassador to the US Husain Haqqani. AFP[/caption] The bench gave him a last chance to appear before it within three weeks. Haqqani is currently in the US and has refused to appear in the Supreme Court due to threats from jihadi groups and “elements within the state apparatus” that back terrorists. Haqqani’s lawyer, Asma Jahangir, has said he was not given the “right to due process completely”. However, the apex court said it would take punitive action such as asking authorities to cancel Haqqani’s passport if he did not return to Pakistan. The bench was hearing the case of a controversial memo allegedly sent by Haqqani to former US military chief Admiral Mike Mullen seeking US intervention to avert a possible overthrow of the Pakistan government in the aftermath of the American raid that killed Osama bin Laden in May 2011. A judicial commission set up by the apex court concluded last year that Haqqani was responsible for the mysterious memo, which was made public by controversial Pakistani-American businessman Mansoor Ijaz. During a hearing last month, the Supreme Court had directed Interior Secretary Khwaja Siddiq Akbar to provide foolproof security to Haqqani on his return to Pakistan. PTI