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Monday, December 23, 2024  
20 Jumada Al-Akhirah 1446  

Abbottabad commission to summon Haqqani today

The Abbottabad Commission wil summoned former Ambassador to US Husain Haqqani on Tuesday (today) to investigate the allegations levelled against him in relation to May 2 killing of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and issuance of visas to US contractors.

According to sources Haqqani submitted his written reply to the commission on Monday before appearing before panel on Tuesday.

Sources maintained that Hussain's presence in London on May 2, 2011 would be investigated.

During his stay in the British capital, former ambassador is said to have held extensive meetings with senior officials of the armed forces of the UK.

The commission would also consider an article by Ijaz Mansoor carried by Daily Beast in which Ijaz claimed that the memo that was dictated to him by Hussain Haqani was part of a plan conceived in advance of the May 2 operation.

Mansoor alleged that knowledge of the operation of May 2 was shared by the US with Government of Pakistan at the highest level and in view of the anticipated operation a plan was hatched at the highest level for the removal of the Army Chief General Ashfaq Kayani and Intelligence Chief General Pasha.

The sources claimed that the then ambassador was empowered to issue with immediate effect visas without security clearance.

A meeting of the Inquiry Commission on Abbottabad Operation was held on Monday in the Cabinet Division under the Chairmanship of former Justice Javed Iqbal.

The meeting was attended by Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, Lieutenant General (Retd) Nadeem Ahmed and Abbas Khan, IGP (Retd) as members of the Commission.

The Commission held a detailed interactive session with Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, President Awami Muslim League, Lieutenant General Agha Muhammad Umar Farooq, President National Defence University and Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, Chairman, Pakistan Peoples Party (Sherpao).

Sheikh Rashid Ahmed pleaded before the commission that the article published on May 2, 2011 in Washington Post congratulating the Americans for their successful violation of the territorial integrity of Pakistan was a highly significant development.

Circumstances leading to the composition and publication of the said article with promptness required a deep probe by the commission.

Sheikh further stated that the High Commissioner for Pakistan in London Wajid Shamsul Hassan had stated in at least two interviews that the government of Pakistan was aware of the May 2 operation in advance.

Therefore, he must be examined by the commission, according to Sheikh.