Haqqani rejects Khwaja Asif’s claims

WASHINGTON: Former Pakistani ambassador to the United States, Husain Haqqani, has vehemently rejected the claim made by Defence Minister Khwaja Asif of lobbying against the latest tranche of F-16s for the Pakistan Air Force (PAF).

Haqqani criticised the minister saying, “I understand thatthe power equation in Islamabad does not allow civilians to assert themselves in all policy spheres but that does not justify ignorant statements." He said that it was absurd to suggest that a former ambassador can hold up military sales from the US to Pakistan. Haqqani said, “I have not lobbied for anybody or anything since I left the position of ambassador."

He also issued a rejoinder saying, "History would prove that while I served as ambassador, Pakistan received 12 F-16 aircraft from the United States as per contracts, without congressional opposition. As ambassador I did my duty of removing political difficulties in the execution of the deal and received appreciation from the PAF for my services in this regard. Congress also approved the largest civilian aid package for Pakistan of $7.5 billion over five years under the Kerry-Lugar-Berman Act during my tenure."

The former ambassador said that in some of his recent analytical articles, he has pointed out the actual role of F-16s in the Pakistan military’s arsenal against India, which does not constitute lobbying for or against the aircraft’s sale to Pakistan. “For years, Pakistan’s sales pitch to the US has been based on underplaying its real strategic outlook to secure Foreign Military Funding and Foreign Military Sales. My factually correct articles offend those who do not want to change the basis of US-Pakistan relations to honest discourse," he said.

Haqqani said he advocates a new foreign policy paradigm for Pakistan, which includes pursuing independence from acquisition of military hardware from the US on false assurances and the shift of focus from military relations to economic and trade ties. “I do not believe that having the eighth largest army while being only the 42nd largest economy in the world is a sustainable course of action," he said about Pakistan.

The former ambassador in his statement said that while he had no role in lobbying in Washington DC for anything, including the F-16 sale, he finds it disturbing that his scholarly work should even be an issue.