Mansurul Haq

Mansurul Haq (16 October 1937 – 21 February 2018) was a senior officer of the Pakistan Navy who was forcibly retired from his service in 1997 on the allegations leveled against him in the corruption and kickbacks resulting during the technology transfer of submarines from France. He was stripped of his rank, awards, and other perks and privileges.

Driving a policy on anti-corruption by the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the Naval Intelligence exposed his role that led to his resignation on 1 May 1997. His case attracted subsequent media attention in Pakistan after his voluntary return without any extradition case from the United States by the joint teams of FIA and NAB. He was held in Sihala Prison to face accountability. In 2013, he later filed a lawsuit against the Government of Pakistan at the Sindh High Court, seeking to restore his rank and other privileges.

Biography Mansurul Haq was born in Sialkot, Punjab, British India in 1937 into a Punjabi family. After his matriculation in Sialkot, he briefly attended the Murray College and was commissioned in the Pakistan Navy in 1954 as Midshipman.

In 1954, he was sent to the United Kingdom where he attended the Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth in England, graduated in geography course in 1956. In 1957, he did his further military training at in Portsmouth where he specialized as gunnery specialist, returned to Pakistan before being promoted as sub-lieutenant in the Navy in 1958. In 1964–65, Lt. Haq served in the second war with India and was posted in East Pakistan after the war.

In 1969–71, Lieutenant-Commander Haq was posted in East Pakistan where he was the Director of the Naval Intelligence, fighting a war against India in December 1971. He was taken as war prisoner by Indian Army and was repatriated back to Pakistan following the trilateral agreement signed in 1974.

His career progressed extremely well in the Navy and was sent to attend the Naval War College in Rhode Island in the United States where he graduated in management course. In 1985–89, Cdre Haq served in the Ministry of Defence and later as Director of Joint Training at the JS HQ before being promoted to two-star assignment, and Rear-Admiral Haq was made a senior fleet commander as Commander Pakistan Fleet (COMPAK), and later as Commander Karachi (COMKAR) in 1991–92.

Haq died from a cardiac arrest at his home in the United States, on 21 February 2018, at the age of 80.

Chief of Naval Staff

In 1992, Rear-Admiral Haq was promoted to three-star assignment and was appointed as secondment at the National Shipping Corporation (PNSC) by then-Chief of Naval Staff Admiral S.M. Khan. However, his chairmanship was caught between the privatization policy led by then-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Admiral S.M. Khan, when a civilian bureaucrat filed a petition against his tenureship at the Sindh High Court.

Vice-Admiral Haq fiercely opposed any attempts of privatization policy, causing a stress on the civil-military relations with the civilian federal government.

In 1994, Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto publicly announced to promote Vice-Admiral Haq as a four-star admiral in the Navy, appointing him as the Chief of Naval Staff.

Although, it was Admiral Saeed Mohammad Khan who had given a go-ahead of procuring the technology transfer of the Agosta 90B submarines in 1994 against his discretionary and wanting to directly procure the Victoria-class submarines. Admiral Haq, nonetheless oversaw the financial deals closed in between the Benazir administration and the administrations of Mitterrand and Chirac in 1994–97. In 1995, Adm. Haq held additional talks with the French Navy over the strengthening of the cooperation between two nations.

Dismissal and extradition In 1996–97, the Naval Intelligence led by Rear-Admiral Tanvir Ahmed began investigating the allegations and rumors at the Navy NHQ surrounding the role of Admiral S.M. Khan and Admiral Haq. The whole nation became completely aware of the scandal in 1998, when the scandal was exposed. The Naval Police and officials of the Naval Intelligence led by R-Adm. Tanvir Ahmed arrested Admiral Haq but no evidence came out to convict him in 1998.

In 1998, Haq emigrated to the United States and settled in Austin in Texas where he bought a house. In 1999, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) announced to open the investigations on Agosta scandal, with French Tracfin aiding the investigations, where major breakthrough in the investigation was made in 2000–01. While Haque had a right to fight for his extradition, he choose not to. Civilian prosecution also leveled charges on him of being involved in financial deals made through selling the metal scrap through the National Shipping Corporation (PNSC), which caused the PNSC to lose $3 million in national exchequer. Upon being convicted, the naval police shifted him in the Sihala Prison in Punjab in Pakistan but soon began his negotiation with the Government of Pakistan to return the money as plea bargain in exchange of light sentence and minimal jail time.

In 2003–05, Haq returned a total sum of $7.5 million while in office, which were immediately shifted back to Navy's national account. The amount was said to be enough to pay the salaries of entire navy for two years.

After transferring the amount back to Navy's account, Haq was released from the prison and all cases against him were closed as part of the deal, eventually settling in Karachi. He paid additional US$ 2.5 million which were deposited to Pakistan Navy's account in two easy installment payments, after which, he was released as the NAB agents vacated his house in Karachi.

In 2013, Haq filed a lawsuit against the Government of Pakistan, seeking to restore his medical privileges, pensions, and four-star rank, at the Sindh High Court.

Though, Adm. SM Khan denied his role in such deals as the latter wanted to purchase the Victoria-class submarines in 1994. Shahid Ashraf further claimed that Admiral Haq was not part of the selection team which recommended Agosta 90B for purchase from France.

In June 2010, French investigators raided the house of Amir Lodhi, and handed over the important documents relating the defence deals to the NAB. The reports confiscated by the French investigators revealed to have found in regards involvement of former President Asif Ali Zardari who had have received €33 million while Amir Lodhi's share was €2.9 million.

About the case study and trial of the Haq, former chief of naval staff, Adm. Abdul Aziz Mirza reportedly quoted in the news media that "former Naval Chief Mansurul haq was not convicted of Agosta kickbacks but for the bribes he had pocketed in other defence deals."

Awards and decorations

Pakistan Navy Operations Branch BadgeCommand at Sea insigniaNishan-e-Imtiaz (Military)

(Order of Excellence) WITHDRAWNHilal-i-Imtiaz (Military)

(Crescent of Excellence) WITHDRAWNSitara-e-Basalat (Star of Valour) WITHDRAWNTamgha-e-Diffa (Defence Medal)Sitara-e-Harb 1965 War (War Star 1965)Sitara-e-Harb 1971 War (War Star 1971)Tamgha-e-Jang 1965 War (War Medal 1965)Tamgha-e-Jang 1971 War

(100th Birth Anniversary of Muhammad Ali Jinnah)

1976Tamgha-e-Qayam-e-Jamhuria (Republic Commemoration Medal)

1956Hijri Tamgha (Hijri Medal)

1979Tamgha-e-Jamhuriat (Democracy Medal)

1988Qarardad-e-Pakistan Tamgha (Resolution Day

Golden Jubilee Medal)

1990Turkish Legion of Merit (Turkey)Order of Abdulaziz al Saud (Saudi Arabia)Bintang Jalasena Utama (Indonesia)

Foreign Decorations Foreign AwardsThe Legion of Merit TurkeyOrder of King AbdulazizBintang Jalasena Utama