US says no comment on Haqqani resignation

Washington, Nov 22: The US on Tuesday refused to make any comment on the removal of Husain Haqqani, Pakistan's Ambassador here, saying it has not received formal notification about the acceptance of resignation of the envoy.

"My understanding is that these are events that happened today in Pakistan. We have not had any official notification with regard to his standing here," State Department spokesperson, Victoria Nuland, told reporters at her daily news conference.

Before leaving for Pakistan, Haqqani had his last meeting with the Special US Representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan, Marc Grossman, at the State Department headquarters in Washington. The two discussed a wide range of issues, she said.

"I don't want to get into valedictory comments here unless and until we've had a formal notification from the Pakistani government," Nuland said when asked what role Haqqani played in the US-Pak relationship as Islamabad's top diplomat in Washington.

Meanwhile the controversial Pakistani-American businessman Mansoor Ijaz, in a statement said that he is ready to assist the Government of Pakistani in its inquiry related to the secret memo that he was instrumental in passing on to Admiral Mike Mullen, the then Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Ijaz claims that the said memo was drafted by Haqqani on behalf of the Pakistan President, Asif Ali Zardari. The memo expresses concerns about an impending military coup in Pakistan in the aftermath of the killing of Osama bin Laden, by US forces in Abbottabad on May 2.

PTI