'No one's agent,' Khalilzad responds to Zardari's accusations

Former US envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad on Saturday lashed out at Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari for calling him a "double agent" and said that the former president should "put the country first and honour the legacy of BB [Benazir Bhutto]".

Calling Zardari "Pakistan's Mr Ten Percent," Khalilzad denied the allegations that he was an agent. 

"I do not lobby for anyone or any country and am no one's agent. I have shared my sincere concern about Pakistan's triple crisis, which unfortunately is intensifying, and have suggested what should be done," he said.

Speaking during the interview with the Geo News programme "Capital Talk" on Friday, the former president accused Khalilzad of being a “double agent” on “a payroll”.

During the interview, Zardari was questioned regarding the support Khalilzad had shown to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) — the former ruling party led by Imran Khan.

In response, the former president said that Khalilzad was a salaried person. “He is in a lobby and an agent. A double agent of CIA [Central Intelligence Agency].”

When asked about the negative things Khalilzad had written about Zardari in his book, he said: “Of course, why would he write anything good about me? They can’t tolerate anyone who has roots in the country, can save the country, or loves it. Obviously, he won’t write anything nice.”

In response to this, the former US envoy took to Twitter and wrote: “Responding to Pakistan's "Mr. 10 Percent": I do not lobby for anyone or any country and am no one's agent. I have shared my sincere concern about Pakistan's triple crisis, which unfortunately is intensifying, and have suggested what should be done. "Mr. Ten Percent" should put country first and honor BB's legacy, to preclude a meltdown that will hurt the 220 million people who — unlike him and others like him, do not own posh homes in several countries that they can run away to. The Pakistani establishment and the country's political leaders must commit to rule of law, starting by not splitting the Supreme Court, but instead, implementing its decisions.”