Washington: The US on Tuesday refused to make any comment on the removal of Husain Haqqani, Pakistan's Ambassador in Washington, saying it has not received formal notification about the acceptance of resignation of the envoy.
"My understanding is that these are events that happened today in Pakistan. We have not had any official notification with regard to his standing here," State Department spokesperson, Victoria Nuland, told reporters at her daily news conference.
Before leaving for Pakistan, Haqqani had his last meeting with the Special US Representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan, Marc Grossman, at the State Department headquarters in Washington.
The two discussed a wide range of issues, she said. "I don't want to get into valedictory comments here unless and until we've had a formal notification from the Pakistani government," Nuland said when asked what role Haqqani played in the US-Pak relationship as Islamabad's top diplomat in Washington.
Meanwhile the controversial Pakistani-American businessman Mansoor Ijaz, in a statement said that he is ready to assist the Government of Pakistani in its inquiry related to the secret memo that he was instrumental in passing on to Admiral Mike Mullen, the then Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Ijaz claims that the said memo was drafted by Haqqani on behalf of the Pakistan President, Asif Ali Zardari.
The memo expresses concerns about an impending military coup in Pakistan in the aftermath of the killing of Osama bin Laden, by US forces in Abbottabad on May 2.
Haqqani has denied these allegations and has said that he is ready to face any probe.
Meanwhile a spokesman of Admiral Mullen said that the latter has not received any request seeking his cooperation on the said investigation in Pakistan.
"He has not received any request," Navy Capt John Kirby, told PTI when asked if Mullen would co-operate with the Pakistani investigation in this inquiry.
Kirby was Mullen's spokesman when he was the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Kirby also maintained that Mullen has not been any contact with Gen Ashfaq Pervez Kayani or the ISI chief after the said memo came out in he public domain, which was first written about by Ijaz himself in a London daily.
In a statement issued today, Ijaz said he respects the decision of Pakistan's Prime Minister to accept the resignation of Husain Haqqani after a meeting of Pakistan's top civilian and military leaders in Islamabad.
"I welcome the Prime Minister's announcement of a high level independent and credible inquiry and reiterate my commitment to full and transparent cooperation with the competent authorities of the Pakistani government in ascertaining the truth of these circumstances, he said.
"I was asked in late October to assist the government's security agencies in determining the veracity of evidence in my possession. I believe their preliminary findings played an important role in today's events," Ijaz said.
"As the government proceeds in its inquiry, I stand ready to assist in any manner necessary. I wish Amb. Haqqani and his family well," said the Pakistani American businessman.
Comments
0 comment