1. Husain Haqqani is a Pakistani journalist, academic, political activist, and former ambassador of Pakistan to Sri Lanka and the United States.
45 Facts About Husain Haqqani
1. 2.
Husain Haqqani is currently a Senior Fellow and Director for South and Central Asia at the Hudson Institute in Washington, DC, and co-editor of Hudson's journal Current Trends in Islamist Ideology.
3.
Husain Haqqani is a Senior Research Fellow and Diplomat-in-Residence at the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy in Abu Dhabi, which serves as a training institute for diplomats of the United Arab Emirates.
4.
Husain Haqqani worked as a journalist from 1980 to 1988, and then as political adviser for Nawaz Sharif and later as a spokesperson for Benazir Bhutto.
5.
Husain Haqqani was appointed as Pakistan's ambassador in April 2008, but his tenure ended after the Memogate incident, when the claim was made that he had been insufficiently protective of Pakistan's interests.
6.
Husain Haqqani frequently visited the library at the US consulate, reading volumes of American history.
7.
Husain Haqqani worked as a full-time journalist from 1980 to 1988.
8.
Husain Haqqani covered the war in Afghanistan for Voice of America radio; served as the Pakistan and Afghanistan correspondent for Far Eastern Economic Review; and worked in Hong Kong as the East Asian correspondent for the London-based Arabia: the Islamic World Review as well as the Jamaat-e-Islami newspaper Jasarat.
9.
Husain Haqqani worked for the state broadcaster Pakistan Television during the general elections of 1985.
10.
Husain Haqqani started his political career at the University of Karachi, where he joined Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba, the student wing of the Jamaat-e-Islami and became president of the student union.
11.
Husain Haqqani explained his association with Islamists as a student in an article in the Asian Wall Street Journal.
12.
Husain Haqqani started his national political career as a supporter of Zia-ul-Haq.
13.
Husain Haqqani allegedly "orchestrated a campaign of dirty tricks against the Bhutto women, publishing leaflets which showed their faces superimposed on nude bodies," a claim refuted by Benazir Bhutto.
14.
From 1995 to 1996, Husain Haqqani was chairman of the House Building Finance Corporation.
15.
In 1992 Husain Haqqani became one of Pakistan's youngest ambassadors, serving in Sri Lanka until 1993.
16.
Husain Haqqani served as Pakistan's ambassador to the United States from 2008 during the government of Asif Ali Zardari.
17.
Husain Haqqani's tenure was not without controversy in Pakistan where he was called "Washington's ambassador to Pakistan," a play on his role of Pakistan's Ambassador in Washington, due to his pro-Western views.
18.
Husain Haqqani resigned in 2011 due to the memogate controversy.
19.
Roughly a week after the raid on Bin Laden, Husain Haqqani reportedly asked a Pakistani American businessman Mansoor Ijaz to pass a message to the Americans, at the request of President Zardari, that the Pakistani military was planning to intervene.
20.
Husain Haqqani was recalled to Pakistan and accused of high treason.
21.
Husain Haqqani sought refuge in the presidential palace and later the Prime Minister's residence, citing threats to his life by extremist groups that accused him of treason.
22.
In January 2012, Pakistan's Supreme Court allowed Husain Haqqani to leave the country.
23.
The Judicial Commission completed its investigation apparently without hearing from Husain Haqqani, and submitted its report in June 2012 in sealed envelopes.
24.
The commission's report further stated that "Husain Haqqani was not loyal to Pakistan" in drafting that memo.
25.
Husain Haqqani said the Commission's report was one-sided and defended his patriotism and his innocence.
26.
Husain Haqqani has not returned to Pakistan, citing threats on his life.
27.
Husain Haqqani has long had a difficult relationship with Pakistan's military.
28.
Husain Haqqani had made enemies among some in Pakistan's military due to his criticism of the Army.
29.
The powerful Inter-Services Intelligence Agency tried to stop Husain Haqqani from being appointed Ambassador to the United States and kept him under regular surveillance during his tenure due to his criticism of the military.
30.
In December 2022, the Pakistani daily Dawn reported that Husain Haqqani was subcontracted by former CIA Islamabad station chief Robert Grenier to conduct "research" on Pakistan.
31.
Since receiving payments from Grenier in September and October 2021, Husain Haqqani has called for the US and Pakistan to reengage.
32.
Husain Haqqani has had a longtime relationship with the United Arab Emirates.
33.
Husain Haqqani has served as a columnist for the UAE-based Gulf News for over two decades.
34.
In 2017, Husain Haqqani appeared on a documentary critical of Qatar, titled "Qatar: A Dangerous Alliance," produced by a UAE-based company.
35.
In 2023, Husain Haqqani joined the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy in Abu Dhabi as a senior fellow.
36.
From 2004 to 2008, Husain Haqqani was an associate professor for international relations at Boston University.
37.
From 2012 to 2014 Husain Haqqani was Professor of the Practice of International Relations and Director of Boston University's Center for International Relations.
38.
Husain Haqqani has described Islamist extremism as "the single most dangerous idea that has emerged in the Muslim world".
39.
Jeffrey Goldberg, writing for The Atlantic and Bloomberg News, has been a consistent supporter of Husain Haqqani, calling him "The Hardest Working Man in Washington" and criticising Pakistan's military and security services.
40.
In 2017, Pakistan's Foreign Minister alleged that Husain Haqqani had authored US President Donald Trump's South Asia policy.
41.
Husain Haqqani has been vocal against the sale of F-16 fighter jets and AH-1Z Viper helicopters to Pakistan.
42.
Husain Haqqani testified in the US Congress in December 2015 stating that the sale of F-16s to Pakistan would only lead to their usage against India, The Indian government opposed and protested against the proposed sale of 8 F-16s to Pakistan.
43.
Husain Haqqani has called on the Pakistani people to push the government of Pakistan to issue an official apology to Bangladesh for the 1971 genocide.
44.
Husain Haqqani is a citizen of Pakistan and he stated in 2019 that he currently holds a Pakistani passport.
45.
In March 2000, Husain Haqqani married Farahnaz Ispahani, a former producer at CNN and MSNBC, member of the Pakistani National Assembly, and the granddaughter of Mirza Abol Hassan Ispahani, Pakistan's first ambassador to Washington.