Haqqani, Wajid Hassan likely to be envoys to US, UK

Hussain Haqqani and Wajid Shamsul Hassan are likely to be appointed as Pakistans envoys to the United States and the United Kingdom respectively.

Islamabad, Apr.7 : Hussain Haqqani and Wajid Shamsul Hassan are likely to be appointed as Pakistan's envoys to the United States and the United Kingdom respectively.

Sources told the Daily Times that both Haqqani and Hassan are close to the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) leadership, and were frontrunners to replace Major General (retired) Mehmud Ali Durrani and Dr. Maleeha Lodi in Washington and London respectively.

Durrani is reportedly being brought back as National Security Advisor (NSA) to the Prime Minister, while Dr.Lodi has met PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari over dinner to discuss her future prospects under the new political dispensation, the sources said.

They said Haqqani has been appointed as ambassador-at-large temporarily, and that he would be sent to the US once formalities related to his appointment were completed.

Hassan, they said has had a previous stint as High Commissioner to Britain, and could be likely replacement, as he is very close to the PPP leadership.

"Hassan is already living in UK and helping PPP Chairman Bilawal Zardari learn politics and other aspects of Pakistani society and could be persuaded to become the HC," they said.

The sources said that after completing the appointments in US and UK, the government would also change ambassadors to the Saudi Arabia, UAE, Turkey and some important EU countries.

"The government can appoint 20 percent non-carrier envoys abroad and traditionally it had been helpful to adjust some close supporters and sympathisers," the sources said.

ANI