Pakistan's Ambassador to the United States Husain Haqqani resigned on Tuesday after presenting his case in the “memogate” scandal before the country's civil and military leadership. A detailed enquiry has also been ordered by Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani into the controversy over allegations that Mr. Haqqani had sent a memo to the former U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, Mike Mullen, seeking Washington's intervention in preventing a coup in Pakistan after the Abbottabad operation.
While the Prime Minister's office said Mr. Haqqani had been asked by Mr. Gilani to submit his resignation pending enquiry, the former Ambassador tweeted “I have requested PM Gilani to accept my resignation as Pakistan Ambassador to US” just before news broke.
Mr. Haqqani also made it clear that he would remain active in public life, tweeting further that “I have much to contribute to building a new Pakistan free of bigotry & intolerance. Will focus energies on that.” On Monday, his wife — a member of the National Assembly and adviser to President Asif Ali Zardari — had demanded forensic examination of the phone records of Mansoor Ijaz, the Pakistani-American businessman who made the allegations against Mr. Haqqani.
His resignation gave credence to speculation that the military — which has always remained in charge, particularly in matters of foreign policy and security — has had its way. Who will be Pakistan's next Ambassador in Washington is the big question and the selection will indicate if the military had its way again. In fact, Mr. Haqqani himself had said last week — after being recalled to Islamabad — that he was being vilified for opposing military interference in political affairs.
