Mansurul Haq

Mansurul Haq
Born	October 1937 (age 74) Sialkot, British Raj
Allegiance	Pakistan
Service/branch	Pakistan Navy
Years of service	1958–1997
Rank	Admiral (later stripped)
Commands held	Commander Pakistan Fleet (COMPAK) DG Training at Joint Staff HQ DCNS (Personnel) Commander Karachi (COMKAR) Pakistan National Shipping Corporation Chief of Naval Staff
Battles/wars	1965 Indo-Pakistani War 1971 Indo-Pakistani War

Mansurul Haq (Urdu: منصور الحق) (born October 1937 in Sialkot) is a former admiral and now-disposed Chief of Naval Staff of Pakistan Navy. Haq was retired in 1997 by the prime minister Nawaz Sharif government. He was then-arrested on charges of corruption in 2001,^[1] but later negotiated a plea bargain and was released.^[2] Haque won the case against the Military government in the courts against false implication of charges in the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation case. Recent press on Pakistan TV channel DAWN, Program REPORTER investigating the submarine deal has shown interviews of Senior Naval Admirals stating the fact that the Agosta deal was signed before Haque by his predecessor Admiral Saeed Muhammad Khan and that those who were active in the decision and selection of the Submarines held senior positions in Pakistan Navy during and after Haque's trial - Was Haque made a scape goat ? The mystery continues and more is expected to be revealed.

Naval career

Mansurul Haq passed his FSc from Murray College, Sialkot and joined Pakistan Navy in 1954. He received his initial training from Britain, graduating from Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth in September 1958. After serving on various sea appointments,he graduated as Gunnery Specialist from HMS Excellent, Portsmouth. Later in his career he was promoted to the rank of Commodore in 1983 and served in the Naval Headquarters as Assistant Chief of Naval Staff Operations and Personnel.^[3] He served at the Naval War College in New Port, Rhode Island. Haque held the senior positions of Commander Karachi, Commander Pakistan Fleet, Director Naval Intelligence and spent time at the Joint Staff Head Quarters.

Senior appointments

Mansurul Haque was promoted to Rear-Admiral on 9 January 1987 and sent as Commander Pakistan Fleet (COMPAK). From there, he moved as DG Training at Joint Staff HQ in August 1988 and as DCNS (Personnel) at NHQ in October 1990. He also stayed as Commander Karachi (COMKAR) (1991–1992) and Chairman Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC) (18 August 1992-1994).^[3] From there, Haq was appointed as Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) on 10 November 1994.

Dismissal on alleged corruption charge, false implication in PNSC case, Political victimization to malign Benazir Bhutto

Haq was implicated in Agosta class submarine deals scandal in 1994 as Chief of Naval Staff of the Pakistan Navy.^[4] He was retired and later arrested during Prime minister Nawaz Sharif's Government in 1997 but nothing serious came of it. He was then tried in military court during dictatorship era of Pervez Musharraf. He was arrested again, this time by the United States Government on request of the Pakistani military regime, and returned with his own free will to Pakistan in 2001 to face charges of corruption by the Pervez Musharraf, military dictator Government.^[1] While Haque had a right to fight for his extradition, he choose not to.

He was later re-arrested in a fabricated case which he won in the court. Haque was blamed to be involved in a deal made through Pakistan National Shipping Corporation which caused the loss of some $3,000,000 to the national exchequer. He was wrongly sentenced to seven-year rigorous imprisonment in 2004 and fined Rs. 2,000,000 as a result of political victimisation.^[5] Haque won the case on the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation charges after being kept under arrest for extensive period. The court released him and made a strict statement that people should not be harrased by military courts. The charges were deemed basless by the judge - Haque won this case in the time of the military dictatorship of President Musharraf. The National Accountably Bureau court (investigation cell setup during military dictatorship) challenged the verdict of the court and later again lost the baseless case against Haque.

Haque remains silent while recent press is pointing to the fact that the submarine purchase was made before Haque was made Chief of Naval Staff and that the selection and deal finalisation was done by his predecessor Admiral Saeed M Khan. Names of other Senior officers who enjoyed senior positions after Haques arrest and during his trial are also emerging. It has also been disclosed lately on National TV in Pakistan that Haque had given details of the culprits to Prime Minister Sharif and that the culprits were made state witnesses against Haque to divert attention and not get the case blown out.

Haque and some other high profile Pakistani businessmen were being linked to the late Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto by the Military regime of Musharraf with the objective to malign her in Pakistan. So far, no other high profile military General in Pakistan has been tried for anything. Recent press in France and Pakistan is pointing to some other senior Admirals and officials who tried to put the blame on Haque when it is not clear that the decision to purchase Agosta submarine's was made before Haque took office as Chief of Naval staff.

Conspiracy unfolds / Recent articles in French Press make further revelations about the case

The submarine deal for which Admiral Haque was blamed was signed before his taking charge as Chief of Naval Staff - Recently press on the Pakistan TV program 'REPORTER' on Channel DAWN TV has had interviews of senior Naval officers disclosing that Mansurul Haque was made a scape goat while the real culprits remain free - The program has named senior Admiral's who were Mansur's predecessors or invovled in getting him malligned. This program can be viewed on YOUTUBE with serach words as Pakistan, Agosta, DAWN, Reporter. Admiral Haque was not a part of the selection of the Agosta Submarines which Pakistan has purchased from France. The selection was made in the time of Admiral Saeed M Khan. The selection committee included various Admirals including those who subsequently held senior positions after Haque was removed from his position.

The French press has recently printed an article by Michael Streeter, Graham Tearse, Fabrice Arfi and Fabrice Lhomme Paris, France. (13 January 2011) in which it has been stated that French investigators have raided the house of one Pakistani man Amir Lodhi (brother of the ex Pakistan Ambassador to USA, Maliha Lodhi) who is involved in the French Agosta submarine sale to Pakistan. No links to Admiral Haque have been found. This further confirms that there are other Admirals and officials who are involved in the scandal and that have used to malign Admiral Haque and conceal their misdeeds.

What is surprising is that Admiral Saeed M Khan who was the Chief of Naval Staff at the time of the purchase of the Submarines from France has not come out with any clarifications on the matter.

Amir Lodhi alleged to be involved in the deal and supposedly the key orchestrator and middle man is the brother of ex Pakistani Ambassador Maliha Lodhi who was serving in the USA. While Pakistani national accountability bureau was searching for him, he was staying with his sister

While Haque was being pursued and later tried, there were warrants to arrest one wheeler dealer Amir Lodhi believed to be the orchestrator of the notorious deal. Lodhi was staying in Washington with his sister Maliha, the Pakistani Ambassador while the National Accountability Bureau of Pakistan (setup to malign Bhutto and those associated with her) was searching for him. To date, he has not been touched or questioned about the said deal which makes one wonder to what extent people are involved and saving each others necks. Does any one care in Pakistan as to what people have done to the nation - Those who made the bucks remain free enjoying their lives.

What we have before us is not some imaginary tale, but a state lie - Olivier Morice - French lawyer - SOURCE BBC Article 4 June 2010 - Sarkozy queried over Pakistan's Arms cash - by Hugh Schofield

Extract: The French press is sniffing cautiously but persistently around a story that some believe has potential to do enormous damage to President Nicolas Sarkozy. It is a complex tale linking arms sales to Pakistan with the secret funding of French politics. A 2002 bomb attack that killed 11 French naval engineers in Karachi also plays a part. The president and his advisors have dismissed any suggestion of wrong-doing on his part as "grotesque". However, there have been continuing suggestions that Mr Sarkozy may know more than he lets on. The origins of the affair lie in the years 1993 to 1995, when Nicolas Sarkozy was budget minister in the government of conservative Prime Minister Edouard Balladur.

In 1994, France negotiated a deal to sell three Agosta-class submarines to Pakistan for a sum equivalent to 826m euros (£684m, $996m). In accordance with standard procedure back then (only in 2000 did France sign an OECD convention outlawing commissions), some 50m euros were paid as "sweeteners" to various senior Pakistani figures....In 1995, Jacques Chirac defeated Mr Balladur in the first round of the vote and went on to become president. According to Le Contrat, he immediately cancelled payment of the commissions which he knew (from intelligence sources) had helped to fund his rival's campaign. Seven years later, an explosion killed 11 employees of the DCN as they travelled to work in Karachi. For a long time it was presumed the attack was the work of al-Qaeda. But last year a new judge in charge of the case, Marc Trevidic, focused on another theory. He believes that the Karachi attack may have been carried out on orders from unnamed Pakistani intelligence and military chiefs, angry that their share of the Agosta backhanders was never paid. It is a monumental - and unproven - allegation. But the families of many of those who died are increasingly inclined to believe it. Their lawyer, Olivier Morice, is the most outspoken of the president's critics. "Nicolas Sarkozy was at the heart of the corruption and he has lied to the families. What we have before us is not some imaginary tale, but a state lie. The families are indignant and demand his resignation," he said.

The dates of this activity are before appointment of Haque as Chief of Pakistan Navy - The selection of the vessel was done in the times of his predcessor Admiral Saeed Khan, related to senior Pakistani officials.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Former Pakistani navy chief arrested" BBC News, 12 April 2001
2. ^ "Masoorul Haq held in another NAB reference" Dawn, 17 July 2002
3. ^ ^{a b} Economic Review, Volume 24, Page 94 - Economic & Industrial Publications., 1993
4. ^ "Pakistan launches submarine" BBC News, 24 August 2002
5. ^ "SC directs NAB to hire new prosecutor for Mansur trial" Daily Times, 20 March 2003

Military offices
Preceded by Saeed Mohammad Khan	Chief of Naval Staff 1994 – 1997	Succeeded by Fasih Bokhari

Persondata
Name	Haq, Mansurul
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1937
Place of birth	Sialkot, British Raj
Date of death
Place of death