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Haqqani sets sail for UAE
Supreme Court conditionally lifts ban on Haqqani's travel abroad. Expected to join wife in US.
Former Ambassador will return to Pakistan on four days’ notice to join the proceedings, if and when required to do so by the commission. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan’s former Ambassador to the US, Husain Haqqani departed from Pakistan under thick security blanket in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
Haqqani arrived at the Islamabad airport with a heavy security escort. He entered the airport without talking to the gathered media.
He is expected to fly to the UAE, from where he his believed to take another flight to the US, and join his wife Farahnaz Ispahani there.
Updated from print version (below)
Next stop may be US: Haqqani heads for UAE as travel ban lifted
Former ambassador to the US Husain Haqqani can finally breathe a sigh of relief. The ex-envoy was set to avail the first opportunity he got to leave the country on Tuesday morning, after the Supreme Court conditionally lifted a ban on his travel abroad.
An application by Haqqani’s counsel, Asma Jahangir, requesting that her client be allowed to join his family abroad was received positively. The application further stated that the former ambassador had fully cooperated with the commission and also undertook to return to Pakistan on four days’ notice to join the proceedings, if and when required to do so by the commission.
“I am glad that the Supreme Court has restored my right to travel, which had been rescinded without any charges being filed against me,” Haqqani told Reuters after the decision. “I will join my family in the US after discussions with leaders of the Pakistan Peoples Party.”
Haqqani, who resigned from ambassadorship over the memo controversy immediately after he landed in Pakistan in November last year, was, at last report, scheduled to leave early morning today (Tuesday) on an Etihad Airways flight for Abu Dhabi as his first destination.
However, it remained unclear as to whether Haqqani would proceed to the US or remain in the UAE for some time.
After the apex court’s decision on Monday, Haqqani held a meeting with the deputy chief of the US Mission in Islamabad, Jonathan Pratt, at the Prime Minister House where the memo case and other issues were discussed, officials said.
Close associates of the former ambassador said that he was expected to leave the Prime Minister House at 2am for Islamabad’s Benazir International Airport under tight security.
“He [Haqqani] will meet the top leadership of Pakistan Peoples Party in Dubai and will take a final decision as to whether he should travel to the US to meet his children or not,” said the associate. “Most likely, his family will fly to Dubai from Washington,” he added, saying: “His wife Farahnaz Ispahani will reach Dubai on Wednesday evening.”
Haqqani’s counsel Asma Jehangir said, “No one could stop Haqqani from travelling abroad. My client was innocent”. Commenting on the apex court’s order, she told The Express Tribune, “It is a victory of truth”.
The former envoy told media that the apex court’s order on lifting the ban on traveling abroad was “a victory of justice”.
(WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM REUTERS)
Published in The Express Tribune, January 31st, 2012.
Read more:
memogate
Reader Comments (44)
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Bravo! I’m glad to see what Asma Jehangir claiming this to be “a victory of truth” and Haqqani himself calling his right to travel, (actually release and ultimate gallows) “a victory of justice” — as far as I am concerned I just call it a victory of his lucky stars.
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Lol that did not take long….
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Finally the illegal imprisonment of HH was lifted.
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Disappointed.
The memo haw treason and those who conspired are now being let off. This is serious.
Someone find out which visa or passport he traveled to USA. For sure diplomatic passport and visa is no more available to him
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Sometimes good news do happen in Pakistan.
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Haqqani was a prisoner of Pakistan’s rabid extremist IJT supported media. Legally he should never have been on the ECL. He after all came back to Pakistan of his free will.
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History will treeat HH in good light for defending Pakistan in US during tough times of OBL gate.
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Mansoor never showed up and now Haqqani has left ..Pakistan meanwhile is exactly where it was before .Recommend
“Fly my little birdie, fly, fly, fly.” (And dont come back). Salams
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Only in Pakistan innocent stands behind bar or spend time in jail and real culprits fly out overnight under the protection of government. Allah hafiz Pakistan!
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I wonder how the historian of future will views things.
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Finally Pakistan Judiciary makes it to list of failed institutions!!
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Deals all over. Deal participants this time include SC also. As usual USA has brokered the deal and HH will go to his country of allegiance soon after he is released. We are a country run by run away characters who are either foreigners or their agents. America will arrange HH exit somewhat like that of Raymond Davis.
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Run, Haqqani, run. But don’t ever forgive the great lier Ijaz.
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@vasan
You call living luxuriously in PM house an imprisonment. He was not banned from living freely inside Pakistan. If living inside Pakistan is imprisonment, then we are all prisoners.
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trust me , he will be going to his penthouse in manhatten and become a US resident…forget about seeing him again!!
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Good for him and for Pakistan. Public attention should move on on from this fiasco. The country hasM some serious challenges to face.
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Hence proved Pakistan Army along with politicians, bureaucrats, journalists, and judiciary support US interests.
Can’t wait for the day when these puppets are taken over by people loyal to Pakistani interests.
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Once out of this country, Haqqani will never come back…
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Bon Voyage!!!
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Yeah…good news for some bad news for others
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Am happy for HH though I don’t like PPP very much. The Memo gate, I felt has been created artificially which should have been a non issue.
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Ijaz and Haqqani will be partying now.
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Go went gone !
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I think HH is innocent. If he was not he would not have come to Pakistan at first instance.
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@Moise: Yeah, right. I suppose the establishment is squeaky clean in all this.
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Putting Haqqani on “Exit Control List” was a dumb idea to start with.
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After all he is a law abiding citizen who has resigned from the prestigious post without any proven allegations and dared to come to Pakistan inspite of a hostile media attack & rumour mills.He spend 3 months in Pakistan without being charged by the Supreme court with the highly sensitive allegations.So he really deserves his fundamental rights like free travel. Whereas as the highly mysterious & dubious charactor Manzoor Ijaz turned away from the court proceedings citing security fears.
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Congratulations to Madam. Asma Jahangir. Media and some others which can not be mentioned here, wasted so much time and energy of the people of Pakistan.
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Another example of making headlines.
All guys play the drama.
Justice far far away in Pakistan !
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One word for the supreme court. : Disappointed
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Some times honesty does not pay. As govt asked him to resign so that investigation seem fair but that fired back.
Go back and teach and write against the root cause oh all this.
God bless you
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Thw way US has been taking sides on this issue, I think the Mullen did not ignore this letter, but took action on this and US took some steps to destablize the Army and The Country. Otherwise I don’t see the need to run from Pak with the whole family.
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MI served at least one good purpose for us commoner Pakistanis. You don’t have to have a high IQ to be in the corridors of power.
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Pakistan’s former Ambassador to the US, Husain Haqqani departed from Pakistan under thick security blanket in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
If HH needed such security to leave Pakistan,then MI definitely needs same type of security to arrive in PakistanRecommend
@Alamgir:
Read comment again.
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how lucky you are! Good bye and good luck – what more you expect?
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Who is paying for this flight to Doha on a chartered flight ?
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Title says ‘ sets sail for UAE ‘ – now that’s just wrong.
Remember people read the news for the English also and not just the news.
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He will no doubt go back to his teaching assignment at Boston University. I predict he will author another book with special mention of memogate and pocket a few million dollars. Soon he will be lost within the multitudes in the US. I wonder down the years if he will turn into another Mansoor Ijaz and start appearing on US networks as an expert on ‘All Things Pakistan’.
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lol, it,s not for lonG time . .. . !
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hope something new good we see in pakistan . .
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Heard that MI and HH are co-authoring a book. Title may be “Haqqani – Between Mansoor and Military” Or Haqqani Ki Kahani – Mansoor Ki Zubani”. Who knows?
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@Raj – USA:
haha good one. these people are international players. Unfortunately Pakistani innocent people are being manipulated.
Pakistan as a country has become 20-20 cricket where you would always see some excitement irrespective of the season..
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