Favouritism in Pakistan’s foreign missions postings upsets envoys

BRUSSELS: A trend of favouritism in posting and transferring of Pakistani diplomats has caused serious concerns among the envoys of various missions abroad including Europe.

Under the rules, diplomats including ambassadors deployed in the countries with category “A” should be transferred to countries divided into categories “B” or “C”, and from “B” and “C” to “A” category as well.

Reliable sources revealed that the authorities have overthrown the rules in preparing the first list of the transferring of the ambassadors. These include ambassador to Romania Ayaz M. Khan, ambassador to Argentina imtiaz Ahmad, ambassador to Cambodia Amjad Shair, ambassador to Philippine Safdar Hayat, ambassador to Poland Khalid Hussain, ambassador to Zimbabwe Asif Khan and ambassador to Uzbekistan Riaz Bokhari.

These envoys, who were already posted at the stations having category “C”, have been transferred to the same categories: Argentina, Foreign Office, Matrious, Romania, Cambodia and Zimbabwe, respectively.

Most of the envoys are upset over the discriminated decision of the authorities. Some of them have refused to join the new postings and some other considering taking retirement.

The sources further disclosed that another list is to be finalised soon, under which, envoys to countries of categories “A” and “B” to be transferred to their desired stations.

Similar stories have been circulating in the media of late. Outgoing Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry received a lot of flak by officials for issuing posting some favourites to their desired positions, The Nation reported.

Chaudhry who has been appointed as Ambassador of Pakistan to US, has been replaced by Tehmina Janjua. Senior bureaucrats of foreign office also voiced criticism over the appointment of Janjua, their junior, as foreign secretary.

The reports had said that the High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit, High Commissioner to the UK Syed Ibne Abbas, Ambassador to China Masood Khalid and former Ambassador to France Ghalib Iqbal, who had been considered for the foreign secretary’s post, were also looking for new assignments.