Islamabad:
As controversy thickened over surfacing of a secret memo, Pakistan's ambassador to the US, Husain Haqqani, met President Asif Ali Zardari on Sunday.
Geo News reported that Haqqani held talks with Zardari at the presidency.
The memo, allegedly sent by Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari to the US, warned of and sought assistance against a possible military takeover after Osama bin Laden was killed in Pakistan in May this year.
The memo was purportedly written by Mr Haqqani, on behalf of President Zardari. So Mr Haqqani has been summoned to Islamabad to explain the issue to the country's leadership. A meeting with Pakistan's military leadership is also likely to take place. Mr Haqqani's primary defence is that the note is unsigned and unverified.
Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has, however, said that ambassador Hussain Haqqani cannot be condemned without being heard.
"We have to show maturity. And justice demands that whosoever the concerned officer is, shouldn't be condemned unheard. We have called him back to Pakistan," Mr Gilani said. (Watch)
Former Pakistan Premier Nawaz Sharif has, meanwhile, asked army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani to take immediate action to end any meddling in politics by military. Sharif heads the main Opposition party PML-N.
Matters turned from bad to worse when Pakistani-American businessman Mansoor Ijaz alleged in a column in the Financial Times last month that a senior Pakistani diplomat asked for his help in getting a message from Zardari to then chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen.
The memo is addressed to the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen. A copy of the memo that has surfaced on a foreign policy website says, "Requests direct intervention in sending an urgent and strong message to General Kayani that delivers Washington's message for him and General Pasha to end their brinkmanship aimed at bringing down the civilian apparatus."
Mr Ijaz alleged that Zardari feared a military takeover following the US raid that killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan in May and brought unprecedented public scrutiny on Pakistani leaders.
In an exclusive interview, Mr Ijaz told NDTV that the Pakistan ambassador reached out to him saying he is a "plausibly deniable channel" for them. (Watch: Haqqani reached out to me, lying about memo now, Mansoor Ijaz tells NDTV) Mr Haqqani has, however, denied these reports.
Mr Mullen's office has been quoted as saying they received a memo, but didn't give it too much credence at the time.
For India, the memo stands out for a sub-point saying Pakistan's government - under a new national security team - is prepared to fully cooperate with the Indian government on 26/11 investigations and bringing to justice all perpetrators within or outside the government, including intelligence agencies. "This includes handing over those against whom sufficient evidence exists of guilt to the Indian security services."
Elaborating on the reference in the memo to President Zardari's readiness to hand over the 26/11 attackers to India, Mr Ijaz told NDTV this was among several proposals "designed to win the confidence of the US administration."
The US State Department has termed the issue as an internal matter of Pakistan and refrained from making any comment on it.
(With IANS inputs)
Geo News reported that Haqqani held talks with Zardari at the presidency.
The memo, allegedly sent by Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari to the US, warned of and sought assistance against a possible military takeover after Osama bin Laden was killed in Pakistan in May this year.
The memo was purportedly written by Mr Haqqani, on behalf of President Zardari. So Mr Haqqani has been summoned to Islamabad to explain the issue to the country's leadership. A meeting with Pakistan's military leadership is also likely to take place. Mr Haqqani's primary defence is that the note is unsigned and unverified.
Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has, however, said that ambassador Hussain Haqqani cannot be condemned without being heard.
"We have to show maturity. And justice demands that whosoever the concerned officer is, shouldn't be condemned unheard. We have called him back to Pakistan," Mr Gilani said. (Watch)
Former Pakistan Premier Nawaz Sharif has, meanwhile, asked army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani to take immediate action to end any meddling in politics by military. Sharif heads the main Opposition party PML-N.
Matters turned from bad to worse when Pakistani-American businessman Mansoor Ijaz alleged in a column in the Financial Times last month that a senior Pakistani diplomat asked for his help in getting a message from Zardari to then chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen.
The memo is addressed to the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen. A copy of the memo that has surfaced on a foreign policy website says, "Requests direct intervention in sending an urgent and strong message to General Kayani that delivers Washington's message for him and General Pasha to end their brinkmanship aimed at bringing down the civilian apparatus."
Mr Ijaz alleged that Zardari feared a military takeover following the US raid that killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan in May and brought unprecedented public scrutiny on Pakistani leaders.
In an exclusive interview, Mr Ijaz told NDTV that the Pakistan ambassador reached out to him saying he is a "plausibly deniable channel" for them. (Watch: Haqqani reached out to me, lying about memo now, Mansoor Ijaz tells NDTV) Mr Haqqani has, however, denied these reports.
Mr Mullen's office has been quoted as saying they received a memo, but didn't give it too much credence at the time.
For India, the memo stands out for a sub-point saying Pakistan's government - under a new national security team - is prepared to fully cooperate with the Indian government on 26/11 investigations and bringing to justice all perpetrators within or outside the government, including intelligence agencies. "This includes handing over those against whom sufficient evidence exists of guilt to the Indian security services."
Elaborating on the reference in the memo to President Zardari's readiness to hand over the 26/11 attackers to India, Mr Ijaz told NDTV this was among several proposals "designed to win the confidence of the US administration."
The US State Department has termed the issue as an internal matter of Pakistan and refrained from making any comment on it.
(With IANS inputs)
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