Interpol refuses to act against Haqqani

Pakistan's Supreme Court was informed today that Interpol had not issued any warrant against former ambassador to the United States Husain Haqqani in response to a request by the Pakistan government and had raised certain queries instead.

Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) may now register a case against Haqqani, acknowledging that six years after the former ambassador to US was accused in a scandal termed 'Memogate'.

The FIA requires some time to fulfil Interpol's requirements which include providing details of the alleged crime, Assistant Attorney General Waqar Rana told the Supreme Court today according to Pakistani media reports.

Rana also requested the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar to hear the matter in his chamber.

The Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) accepted the plea and asked AAG and petitioner to appear in his chamber making it clear that he would not be influenced by any lobby.

On February 15, the Pakistan 's apex court issued an arrest warrant against Haqqani and directed him to appear in the Memogate case.

However, Haqqani failed to comply with the court orders.

The FIA had asked Interpol to issue a red warrant for Haqqani, Additional Attorney General Rana Waqar told the top court but Interpol asked what, if any, criminal case had been filed against Haqqani.

The Memogate scandal erupted in 2011 when Pakistani-American businessman Mansoor Ijaz claimed to have received an 'anti-army' memo from Haqqani for the then-US joint chiefs chairman Admiral Mike Mullen.

Cases have recently been registered against Haqqani under Sections 120b (hatching a criminal conspiracy) and 121a (waging a war against Pakistan) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

In this regard, a court notice has already been issued to Haqqani and other respondents of the case - including former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

The scandal, taken to the Supreme Court by then opposition leader Nawaz Sharif, led to Haqqani's resignation

As per the international criminal police organization, Interpol's charter prohibits it from intervening into a political, military, religious, or racial dispute.

Interpol mainly focuses on public safety and combating transnational crimes against humanity, child pornography, computer crime and cybercrime, drug trafficking, environmental crime, genocide, human trafficking.

Besides this, it also deals with cases related to illicit drug production, copyright infringement, illicit traffic in works of art, intellectual property crime, money laundering, organized crime, corruption, terrorism, war crimes, weapons smuggling, and white-collar crime.