A leading American newspaper Saturday carried a profile of Husain Haqqani, Pakistan's Ambassador to the United States, saying the journalist-turned-diplomat has become an influential figure in Washington. With the Obama administration struggling with another crisis in Pakistan, the New York Times said Haqqani, 52, has gained access to the highest levels of the government and Congress.
'(A) silver-tongued interpreter in public of his country's bewildering politics, but also a relentless, unyielding defender of Pakistan's image and reputation,' the dispatch said. 'He speaks several times a week with Richard C Holbrooke, the administration's especial representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, who calls him 'one of the most skilled ambassadors I have ever seen', the Times said.
'He (Haqqani) figures he has met with 90 members of Congress. And he is a fixture on CNN, the op-ed pages of newspapers and at research groups around Washington.' 'Since moving to the United States, Haqqani has developed an affinity for American culture. He taught international relations at Boston University from 2004 to 2008 and he roots for the Red Sox. The American experience has only added to suspicions about him back in Pakistan.'
But the Times said Haqqani readily admits shifting his allegiances over the years. 'But he denies being an opportunist, saying he underwent a personal journey from being an Islamic activist in his youth to a conservative supporter of Mr Sharif to an acolyte of the populism of the Bhutto clan.'
'Is changing one's opinion called opportunism?' he was quoted as saying. 'Opportunism would be if I got commercial or financial gain from changing my opinion and that charge has never been made of me.' In a tribute the Times correspondent, Mark Landler wrote, 'Mr Haqqani speaks in lucid, well-rounded sentences that suggest his background as a journalist and commentator.
He is catnip for American journalists, offering a mix of high-minded analysis and street-corner gossip. But he can also be prickly and peremptory, using his new post to hector reporters, editors and policymakers over perceived slights or misinterpretations. 'Haqqani relishes mixing journalism with politics, which got him into trouble in 1999, when he was the spokesman for the opposition to Mr Sharif, then prime minister. His ability to bounce back from adversity may be tested yet again.'
Haqqani does his best to polish his boss's image, the dispatch said. Holbrooke, himself no slouch in the media-mastery department, was quoted as saying, 'Some ambassadors' influence is derived logically from the country they represent; Haqqani's influence is derived from his absolute mastery of the American media.'
The dispatch also said, 'Haqqani's ties to the Bhutto family run deep. On the day Ms Bhutto was killed, Mr Haqqani recalls taping interviews with television stations for 12 hours. At times, he broke down in tears on camera. Mr Haqqani's wife, Farahnaz Ispahani, is a member of the Pakistani Parliament and a spokeswoman for Mr Zardari.
'This week, Mr Haqqani said he arranged an early morning visit by Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton and Holbrooke to Zardari at the Willard hotel. The reason was partly personal:, Mrs Clinton said hello to Ms Bhutto's 20-year-old son, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, whom she had last seen a decade earlier. Mr Haqqani views himself as a mediator between old friends, with a lot of baggage in their relationship.'
'I see my role as helping Americans understand that Pakistan is undergoing a transformation,' he was quoted as saying. 'Then I have to persuade Americans to help Pakistan with that transformation.' The solution to Pakistan's instability, Haqqani said, is redoubled American support for its democratically elected government.
Further, Haqqani's belief in Pakistani democracy is hard won and heartfelt, said Teresita Schaffer, a former American diplomat, who befriended Haqqani when they both served as ambassadors to Sri Lanka. But as an ambassador, she said, his views were bound to be rosy. 'The part that he has slid over, particularly in his current job, is whether the government is competent enough to make the democratic enterprise work,' Schaffer was quoted as saying.
Comments
Comments are closed.