FIA contacts Interpol for Haqqani’s ‘red notice’
RAWALPINDI: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has approached the Interpol Secretariat in France for issuance of a ‘red notice’ for former ambassador to the United States Hussain Haqqani.
According to sources, all formalities required by Interpol’s rules and procedures have been fulfilled.
An Interpol red notice is issued to inform member countries that the person is wanted due to arrest warrants or judicial orders issued by the court of law of a country.
Meanwhile, FIA Director General Bashir Memon is leaving for Lyon, Interpol’s headquarters, in France on Sunday to attend a high-level annual conference of intelligence heads of member countries where he will also touch on the issue of obtaining a red notice for Mr Haqqani to bring him back to Pakistan to face trial in the Memogate case.
A senior FIA official said that during his stay in Lyon, Mr Memon would engage a law firm, if needed, to pursue the case of issuance of the red notice for the ex-envoy.
He said the FIA chief would later proceed to the United States and take up the issue of Mr Haqqani with relevant officials there.
The Supreme Court had on March 29 issued an arrest warrant for Mr Haqqani and gave the authorities a 30-day deadline to bring him back after which no excuse would be accepted. The FIA director general had assured the court that a proper case would be registered in the United States if Mr Haqqani refused to return to Pakistan.
The apex court had already directed Mr Haqqani to appear before it in the Memogate case, but he failed to comply with the order. On June 4, 2013, a nine-judge SC bench had directed the interior secretary to adopt legal measures to ensure Mr Haqqani’s return to Pakistan.
Published in Dawn, April 7th, 2018