Zardari's media advisor says she fears abduction

Islamabad, Jan 23 | Farahnaz Ispahani, President Asif Ali Zardari's media adviser and wife of former envoy to US Husain Haqqani, claims that she has fled the country as she feared being kidnapped by the ISI.

Ispahani, who has fled to Washington, said she was afraid that she would be abducted to force her husband to confess and implicate Zardari in the memogate issue, Geo News reported from London.

Pakistan witnessed considerable tension after it emerged that a secret memo was sent to Washington that said Zardari feared a military take over following the killing of Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden May 2 last year. The memo was forwarded by Pakistani-American businessman Mansoor Ijaz.

Ispahani spoke to Christina Lamb who wrote in Sunday Times that the memogate scandal involving Haqqani was "trumped up".

The article said that Haqqani's life was in danger and Ispahani has fled to Washington over fears that "ISI might kidnap her to force her husband to sign a confession and implicate the president".

"What we're seeing is the systematic killing or silencing of anyone who stands up to the institutionalisation of a militarised Islamist state, who advocates positive relations with the West or stands up for tolerance," Ispahani was quoted as telling The Sunday Times.

"I'm scared, even the government can't even protect itself," she added. (IANS)