In response to requests by Islamabad to Washington to help arrest wanted Pakistani criminals who had escaped to the USA, the American authorities arrested former naval chief Admiral Mansoorul Haq, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) announced late Wednesday night.

A NAB statement said that diplomatic channels were used by Islamabad to convince the U.S. authorities to take action against the former naval chief Admiral Mansoorul Haq. "The U.S. Department of Justice has provisionally arrested Haq," it said. The former naval chief had allegedly indulged in corruption, specially relating to defence deals.

The NAB had issued red warrants last year of Haq to the Interpol for his arrest in the U.S. where he had been staying after fleeing from Pakistan. The main charges against Haq included that he got millions of dollars through commissions and kickbacks in cases relating to the purchase of Agosta submarines from France in addition to other defence equipment for the Pakistan Navy.

Officials said that the arrest of Haq in the U.S. would prevent him from fleeing anywhere but he would stay in the United States so long as legal requirements regarding the extradition of the former naval chief to Pakistan are not completed. The officials, however, did not give any timeframe as to when possibly he would be brought back home.

In 1998, two officials of Pakistan Navy had been sentenced to a jail term and fine after they admitted charges against them in the same deal. Another official of the Pakistan Navy was made approver.

When the NAB authorities had formally requested the United States to help arrest Mansoor and others, he reportedly moved from his then U.S. residence to some unknown place to avoid being spotted. The NAB provided the United States with a lot of material, which it said, was sufficient to establish his role in commissions.

During this period, former chairman NAB had visited London also and met senior officials of the British government to inform them of the efforts Pakistan had been making with the United States. He had also taken up the case reportedly in London and provided relevant record to ensure arrest of those who were in London then or who could slip to London from the United States.