Hussain Haqqani denies role in Imran Khan’s ouster

Hussain Haqqani, former Pakistan ambassador to the US, has denied any role in Imran Khan’s ouster and termed the allegations as an “attempt to fool people”.

In January, PTI chairman Imran Khan claimed that the-then army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa hired Haqqani in July 2021 to lobby in Washington upon which the ex-envoy launched a “defamation” campaign against him and promoted Bajwa in the US capital.

While making an appearance in the Aaj News program Asma Shirazi’s Faisla Aap Ka on Tuesday. Haqqani addressed the allegations slapped over him.

“The allegation is ridiculous,” he said on Asma Shirazi’s question.

“I conducted research for which I was given a payment of $30,000. If a regime can be changed with this amount, you can also give this amount to bring him back,” he added.

Haqanni dispelled the impression that the Imran Khan-led government had good relations with ex-US president Donald Trump. 

The former envoy recalled Trump’s January 01, 2018 tweet, which sparked a war of words between the two countries.

He claimed that some expatriates took US Senator Lindsey Graham to Pakistan. Upon returning to the country, the lawmaker told Trump that the Pakistani Prime Minister was “like him and has the same behaviour as him”.

He quoted Graham as saying that “If you will talk to him you will get along”. Such a development led to an invitation for Khan to the US.

Haqqani there was no improvement relating to the policy.

Later, the US administration changed and President Joe Biden did not phone Khan, a development Haqqani said happens rarely.

Haqqani went on to claim that Khan got irked by such a response.

He added said Durrani might have hired the firm.

“I have no knowledge of hiring of that firm. I only know that after many months at the time of the annual filing of that firm, when they say on which they spent money, my name was also there that we had researched with this person. The research was conducted before talking to PTI or after that, the payment was made separately. Firstly, if Bajwa had hired then why did your person let it be hired, secondly how Haqqani got hired.”

Hussain Haqqani also rejected claims that he was hired by the former army chief.

“Neither Bajwa hired me nor can anyone. I am a scholar, for the past 22 to 23 years I have proved my credibility through my write-ups and research,” Haqqani said.

When questioned if the claims about the apparent cypher had any impact on Pakistan, Haqqani said that such a query had three parts.