Husain Haqqani
Encyclopedia
Husain Haqqani or Hussain Haqqani (Urdu: حسین حقّانی) (born July 1, 1956) is the former Pakistan Ambassador to the United States
, appointed by Prime Minister
Yousaf Raza Gillani
in April 2008 and was resigned on November 22, 2011. Previously, he has held numerous high-ranking positions in and out of government, including as adviser to three former Pakistani prime ministers and as envoy to Sri Lanka
, and has been a prominent journalist, scholar and educator. His appointment in 2008 marked a return to government service after being exiled in 1999 following criticisms against the government of then-President Pervez Musharraf
.
and was raised in a conservative but educated family in Malir.
He began his interest in journalism while in high school. Year 1972 in Government National Science College (Shaheed-e-Millat Road, Karachi), he became president of the student union of Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba (student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami). In 1973 he joined Karachi University. He would frequently visit the library at the U.S. consulate, reading volumes of American history. Later, when students wanted to attack the consulate as part of a protest against the United States, Haqqani refused.
Haqqani has an excellent academic record with disctinctions at all stages. He received a B.A. degree with distinction in 1977 and an M.A.
degree with distinction in international relations in 1980 from the University of Karachi
.
He has worked for Islami Jamiat e Talaba PML(N) and PPP
.
Then in March 2000, he married to Farahnaz Ispahani
, a former producer at CNN
and MSNBC
and current member of the Pakistani parliament, and the granddaughter of Mirza Abol Hassan Ispahani
, Pakistan's first ambassador to Washington. Their official residence in Washington was purchased and donated by her grandfather. .
He has lived in the United States since 2002, and has developed a taste for the Boston Red Sox
baseball team and news programs. Married for the third time to his present wife.
, who became national security adviser to the Gillani government.
Prior to his appointment, Haqqani had been critical of the Musharraf regime and past U.S. support to Pakistan's military. In 2007, he told the U.S. Congress that Musharraf's decision to remove Pakistan’s chief justice was a grave mistake.
He terms the historical bilateral relationship as "erratic", citing U.S. engagement from the early Cold War
to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan
, when the U.S. government backed Afghan fighters by funneling support through the Pakistani channels. He is skeptical that completely stabilizing the relationship can be accomplished during the tenure of one ambassador, but seeks to "lay the foundations of a relationship that is multidimensional: political, military, cultural, economic and social".
He believes that -- in the wake of the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto
-- a consensus exists in Pakistan that, to forge a stronger national identity, Pakistani provinces and ethnic groups must continue to unify through democratic processes, but unfortunately democracy in its true sense does not exist at all.
; In 1990, he was special assistant to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
; from 1990-92, he was special assistant and spokesman for Prime Minister Sharif; from 1992-93, he became one of Pakistan's youngest ambassadors, serving in Sri Lanka
; from 1993-95, he was spokesman to Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto
; from 1995-96, he was chairman of the House Building Finance Corporation.
From 2004-08, Haqqani was an associate professor for international relations at Boston University
. In addition, he co-chaired the Project on Islam and Democracy at the Hudson Institute
in Washington, and was editor of the journal Current Trends in Islamists Ideology. Among his numerous writing credits are "Pakistan Between Mosque and Military" for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
; "Islam’s Medieval Outposts" for the journal Foreign Policy, and "The Role of Islam in Pakistan’s Future" for Washington Quarterly
.
publicly accused Husain Haqqani of involvement with a secret memo to Admiral Michael Mullen
asking for US intervention in changing Pakistan's military and intelligence agencies. However, the Pakistani Government has denied any high treason charges against him. Ambassador Haqqani denied the accusation, and offered to resign saying, "I do not want this nonissue of an insignificant memo written by a private individual and not considered credible by its lone recipient to undermine democracy." On 22 November 2011, Ambassador Haqqani officially resigned saying that "Pakistan and Pakistan's democracy are far more important than any artificially created crisis over an insignificant memo written by a self-centred businessman. I have served Pakistan and Pakistani democracy to the best of my ability and will continue to do so." Haqqani's wife, Farahnaz Ispahani
, stated that she and her husband are exploring lawsuits against Mansoor Ijaz in US and Pakistani courts.
from 1980-88. He 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.
Since that time, he has steadily contributed op-eds and articles to dozens of publications, including the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Boston Globe, Financial Times
in London
, International Herald Tribune
, South China Morning Post
, Toronto Globe and Mail, Gulf News
and Le Monde
. He has also been a syndicated columnist for the Indian Express and Daily Star in Bangladesh; he has appeared regularly on television news shows for BBC
, CNN
, NBC
, PBS
, CBS
and ABC
, commenting on Pakistan, Afghanistan, South Asian affairs, Islamic politics and radicalism.
Pakistan Ambassador to the United States
The embassy of Pakistan in Washington, D.C. was built in 28 August 1947, when Pakistan attained independence from Great Britain and separated from India to form the Dominion of Pakistan. From the onset, Pakistan adopted a pro-American policy with relations taking an upturn in 1954 when Pakistan...
, appointed by Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Yousaf Raza Gillani
Yousaf Raza Gillani
Yousuf Raza Gilani is the current prime minister of Islamic Republic of Pakistan. He was nominated as Prime Minister by the PPP, with the support of its coalition partners, Pakistan Muslim League , Awami National Party, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam and Muttahida Qaumi Movement, on 22 March 2008...
in April 2008 and was resigned on November 22, 2011. Previously, he has held numerous high-ranking positions in and out of government, including as adviser to three former Pakistani prime ministers and as envoy to Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, and has been a prominent journalist, scholar and educator. His appointment in 2008 marked a return to government service after being exiled in 1999 following criticisms against the government of then-President Pervez Musharraf
Pervez Musharraf
Pervez Musharraf , is a retired four-star general who served as the 13th Chief of Army Staff and tenth President of Pakistan as well as tenth Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. Musharraf headed and led an administrative military government from October 1999 till August 2007. He ruled...
.
Early life, personal and family
Haqqani was born in KarachiKarachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
and was raised in a conservative but educated family in Malir.
He began his interest in journalism while in high school. Year 1972 in Government National Science College (Shaheed-e-Millat Road, Karachi), he became president of the student union of Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba (student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami). In 1973 he joined Karachi University. He would frequently visit the library at the U.S. consulate, reading volumes of American history. Later, when students wanted to attack the consulate as part of a protest against the United States, Haqqani refused.
Haqqani has an excellent academic record with disctinctions at all stages. He received a B.A. degree with distinction in 1977 and an M.A.
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
degree with distinction in international relations in 1980 from the University of Karachi
University of Karachi
The University of Karachi is a public university located in Karachi, Pakistan. It serves an on-campus student population of more than 24,000. According to the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan, it is ranked among the top three universities of the country...
.
He has worked for Islami Jamiat e Talaba PML(N) and PPP
PPP
PPP is an abbreviation for:In politics:* Pakistan Peoples Party** Pakistan Peoples Party ** Pakistan Peoples Party * Palestinian People's Party...
.
Then in March 2000, he married to Farahnaz Ispahani
Farahnaz Ispahani
Farahnaz Ispahani is currently serving as a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan and as a spokesperson for the President of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari. She is married to Husain Haqqani, the current Pakistan Ambassador to the United States, and is the granddaughter of Pakistan's first...
, a former producer at CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
and MSNBC
MSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
and current member of the Pakistani parliament, and the granddaughter of Mirza Abol Hassan Ispahani
Mirza Abol Hassan Ispahani
Mirza Abol Hassan Ispahani was a Pakistani legislator and diplomat. He belonged to a well-to-do family and was educated at St John's College, Cambridge. He completed his Bar-at-Law in 1924 of the All India Muslim League held in Madras in April 1941...
, Pakistan's first ambassador to Washington. Their official residence in Washington was purchased and donated by her grandfather. .
He has lived in the United States since 2002, and has developed a taste for the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
baseball team and news programs. Married for the third time to his present wife.
Government and political career
At the time of his appointment as ambassador on April 3, 2008, Haqqani was viewed as a respected figure on the world stage, coming to the post well versed in the ways of diplomacy and Washington. He succeeded Mahmud Ali DurraniMahmud Ali Durrani
Mahmud Ali Durrani is a retired Pakistani army officer. He was the National Security Advisor to Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani's administration until he was fired in January 2009 for "not consulting the Prime Minister while giving statements on foreign relation matters"...
, who became national security adviser to the Gillani government.
Prior to his appointment, Haqqani had been critical of the Musharraf regime and past U.S. support to Pakistan's military. In 2007, he told the U.S. Congress that Musharraf's decision to remove Pakistan’s chief justice was a grave mistake.
Policy direction
As ambassador, Haqqani has charted a course of increasing predictability in U.S.-Pakistani relations. He links security issues to economic ones, and has commented that the lack of a strategic foundation has plagued U.S.-Pakistani relations since Pakistan’s inception. "The U.S.-Pakistan relationship has gone up and down like a yoyo," according to Haqqani, "and the reason why…is because U.S. strategic planners have never looked upon Pakistan in its own right".He terms the historical bilateral relationship as "erratic", citing U.S. engagement from the early Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, when the U.S. government backed Afghan fighters by funneling support through the Pakistani channels. He is skeptical that completely stabilizing the relationship can be accomplished during the tenure of one ambassador, but seeks to "lay the foundations of a relationship that is multidimensional: political, military, cultural, economic and social".
He believes that -- in the wake of the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto
Benazir Bhutto
Benazir Bhutto was a democratic socialist who served as the 11th Prime Minister of Pakistan in two non-consecutive terms from 1988 until 1990 and 1993 until 1996....
-- a consensus exists in Pakistan that, to forge a stronger national identity, Pakistani provinces and ethnic groups must continue to unify through democratic processes, but unfortunately democracy in its true sense does not exist at all.
Other experience
Haqqani has been a campaign worker, senior adviser, ambassador, spokesperson and scholar. In 1988, he worked in the political campaign for an alliance led by Nawaz SharifNawaz Sharif
Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif is a Pakistani conservative politician and steel magnate who served as 12th Prime Minister of Pakistan in two non-consecutive terms from November 1990 to July 1993, and from February 1997 to October 12, 1999...
; In 1990, he was special assistant to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
Nawaz Sharif
Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif is a Pakistani conservative politician and steel magnate who served as 12th Prime Minister of Pakistan in two non-consecutive terms from November 1990 to July 1993, and from February 1997 to October 12, 1999...
; from 1990-92, he was special assistant and spokesman for Prime Minister Sharif; from 1992-93, he became one of Pakistan's youngest ambassadors, serving in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
; from 1993-95, he was spokesman to Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto
Benazir Bhutto
Benazir Bhutto was a democratic socialist who served as the 11th Prime Minister of Pakistan in two non-consecutive terms from 1988 until 1990 and 1993 until 1996....
; from 1995-96, he was chairman of the House Building Finance Corporation.
From 2004-08, Haqqani was an associate professor for international relations at Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
. In addition, he co-chaired the Project on Islam and Democracy at the Hudson Institute
Hudson Institute
The Hudson Institute is an American think tank founded in 1961, in Croton-on-Hudson, New York, by futurist, military strategist, and systems theorist Herman Kahn and his colleagues at the RAND Corporation...
in Washington, and was editor of the journal Current Trends in Islamists Ideology. Among his numerous writing credits are "Pakistan Between Mosque and Military" for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace is a foreign-policy think tank based in Washington, D.C. The organization describes itself as being dedicated to advancing cooperation between nations and promoting active international engagement by the United States...
; "Islam’s Medieval Outposts" for the journal Foreign Policy, and "The Role of Islam in Pakistan’s Future" for Washington Quarterly
Washington Quarterly
The Washington Quarterly, often abbreviated TWQ, is a journal of international affairs, analyzing global strategic changes and their public policy implications, published by the Center for Strategic and International Studies and Taylor & Francis. It addresses topics such as: the U.S...
.
Memogate Scandal
On 17 November 2011, American businessman Mansoor IjazMansoor Ijaz
Mansoor Ijaz is an American businessman of Pakistani Ancestry. He is an investment banker and media commentator, mostly in relation to Pakistan, Iraq and Afghanistan....
publicly accused Husain Haqqani of involvement with a secret memo to Admiral Michael Mullen
Michael Mullen
Michael Glenn "Mike" Mullen is a retired United States Navy four-star admiral, who served as the 17th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from October 1, 2007 to September 30, 2011. Mullen previously served as the Navy's 28th Chief of Naval Operations from July 22, 2005 to September 29, 2007...
asking for US intervention in changing Pakistan's military and intelligence agencies. However, the Pakistani Government has denied any high treason charges against him. Ambassador Haqqani denied the accusation, and offered to resign saying, "I do not want this nonissue of an insignificant memo written by a private individual and not considered credible by its lone recipient to undermine democracy." On 22 November 2011, Ambassador Haqqani officially resigned saying that "Pakistan and Pakistan's democracy are far more important than any artificially created crisis over an insignificant memo written by a self-centred businessman. I have served Pakistan and Pakistani democracy to the best of my ability and will continue to do so." Haqqani's wife, Farahnaz Ispahani
Farahnaz Ispahani
Farahnaz Ispahani is currently serving as a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan and as a spokesperson for the President of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari. She is married to Husain Haqqani, the current Pakistan Ambassador to the United States, and is the granddaughter of Pakistan's first...
, stated that she and her husband are exploring lawsuits against Mansoor Ijaz in US and Pakistani courts.
Journalism background
Haqqani worked as a full-time journalistJournalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
from 1980-88. He covered the war in Afghanistan for Voice of America
Voice of America
Voice of America is the official external broadcast institution of the United States federal government. It is one of five civilian U.S. international broadcasters working under the umbrella of the Broadcasting Board of Governors . VOA provides a wide range of programming for broadcast on radio...
radio; served as the Pakistan and Afghanistan correspondent for Far Eastern Economic Review
Far Eastern Economic Review
The Far Eastern Economic Review was an English language Asian news magazine started in 1946. It printed its final issue in December 2009. The Hong Kong-based business magazine was originally published weekly...
; and worked in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
as the East Asian correspondent for the London-based Arabia: the Islamic World Review.
Since that time, he has steadily contributed op-eds and articles to dozens of publications, including the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Boston Globe, Financial Times
Financial Times
The Financial Times is an international business newspaper. It is a morning daily newspaper published in London and printed in 24 cities around the world. Its primary rival is the Wall Street Journal, published in New York City....
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, International Herald Tribune
International Herald Tribune
The International Herald Tribune is a widely read English language international newspaper. It combines the resources of its own correspondents with those of The New York Times and is printed at 38 sites throughout the world, for sale in more than 160 countries and territories...
, South China Morning Post
South China Morning Post
The South China Morning Post , together with its Sunday edition, the Sunday Morning Post, is an English-language Hong Kong newspaper, published by the SCMP Group with a circulation of 104,000....
, Toronto Globe and Mail, Gulf News
Gulf News
Gulf News is a daily English language newspaper published from Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates with a December 2009 BPA audited circulation of over 117,036 qualified copies...
and Le Monde
Le Monde
Le Monde is a French daily evening newspaper owned by La Vie-Le Monde Group and edited in Paris. It is one of two French newspapers of record, and has generally been well respected since its first edition under founder Hubert Beuve-Méry on 19 December 1944...
. He has also been a syndicated columnist for the Indian Express and Daily Star in Bangladesh; he has appeared regularly on television news shows for BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
, PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
, CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
and ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
, commenting on Pakistan, Afghanistan, South Asian affairs, Islamic politics and radicalism.
External links
- HusainHaqqani.com, unofficial site
- Profile at the Embassy of Pakistan in Washington, D.C.Pakistan Ambassador to the United StatesThe embassy of Pakistan in Washington, D.C. was built in 28 August 1947, when Pakistan attained independence from Great Britain and separated from India to form the Dominion of Pakistan. From the onset, Pakistan adopted a pro-American policy with relations taking an upturn in 1954 when Pakistan...
- Profile at Boston UniversityBoston UniversityBoston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
, former Associate Professor of International Relations - Profile at Carnegie Endowment for International PeaceCarnegie Endowment for International PeaceThe Carnegie Endowment for International Peace is a foreign-policy think tank based in Washington, D.C. The organization describes itself as being dedicated to advancing cooperation between nations and promoting active international engagement by the United States...
- Profile at The Washington DiplomatThe Washington DiplomatThe Washington Diplomat is an independent monthly newspaper.It features one-on-one interviews with foreign ambassadors. It also contains articles examining international relations, politics, trade, U.S...