Haqqani says he cannot appear before court

Former ambassador to the US says he fears for his life

Former Pakistani ambassador to the US, Hussain Haqqani, told the Supreme Court yesterday he cannot appear before it in the memo case because of threats to his life in the country.

His counsel, Asma Jahangir, conveyed to a nine- judge bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry the former envoy’s letter expressing his inability to comply with the court’s summons. The court has resumed hearing of the case in- volving charges that Haqqani had sent a memo in 2011 to then US military chief Admiral Mike Mullen seeking US intervention to prevent possible overthrow of the civilian government by the Pakistani military in the wake of the killing of Osama Bin Laden.

Last year, a judicial commission set up by the apex court declared that Haqqani was the originator and architect of the secret memo.

During the hearing, the chief justice said every Pakistani citizen was obligated to follow the directives issued by the country’s courts.

Haqqani’s counsel said regardless of the court’s directives, she could not bring her client back to Pakistan.

The court set the next hearing for February 12.