Haqqani's job on the line as pressure mounts on Zardari over secret note

Islamabad: Publication of a secret memo asking Washington for help reining in the Pakistani military further ignited a scandal yesterday threatening Pakistan's US ambassador and exposing the rift between its shaky government and the country's powerful generals.

The ambassador, Hussain Haqqani, has denied having anything to do with a memo delivered to the US military chief asking for help with the military because of the domestic turmoil triggered by the US raid that killed Osama Bin Laden in Abbottabad.

The "memogate" scandal is adding to pressures on the already deeply unpopular government. Some analysts have speculated that President Asif Ali Zardari himself could be in danger if charges that he signed off on the memo gain traction.

"The target is not me, the target is President Zardari and Pakistani democracy," Haqqani said.

Though Pakistan has a civilian president, the military retains vast political and economic power. It has ruled Pakistan, directly or indirectly, for most of its six-decade existence, and fiercely resisted attempts by civilian leaders to curb its role. Haqqani is alleged to have written a memo to Admiral Mike Mullen, the top US military officer at the time, asking for his assistance in installing a "new security team" in Islamabad that would be friendly to Washington.

A Pakistani English-language newspaper, The News, and Foreign Policy's website yesterday published the text of the memo. After initially denying any knowledge of the document, Mullen's spokesman confirmed he received it but ignored it because it was not credible.

Haqqani insists he had nothing to do with the memo. If authentic, it would reinforce politically toxic charges that the government is colluding with the United States against the interests of the country and its army. Though Washington pumps huge amounts of aid into the country, the US is highly unpopular there.

Transcripts

The memo promises to allow the US to propose names of officials to investigate Bin Laden's presence in Pakistan, facilitate American attempts to target militants like Al Qaida leader Ayman Al Zawahiri and Taliban chief Mullah Omar and allow it greater oversight on Pakistan's nuclear weapons.

The affair has been whipped up by critics of the government and those close to the military. Haqqani has offered to resign over the affair, and Zardari could become a target if claims that he approved the memo prove credible.

Some say Zardari will have no choice but to dismiss Haqqani, a close ally. Zardari's spokesman said on Thursday that the government had not decided what action, if any, to take against the envoy, who has been summoned to Islamabad to explain the scandal.

The News also printed what it said were transcripts of BlackBerry messenger conversations between Haqqani and Mansour Ejaz, a US citizen of Pakistani origin who claims to have delivered the memo to Mullen via an intermediary, on the orders of Haqqani.

The conversations show Haqqani allegedly discussing the wording of the memo with Ejaz and telling him to go ahead. "Ball is in play now. Make sure you have protected your flanks," Ejaz allegedly tells Haqqani after handing over the memo.